Searching for the chemistry of life on exoplanets
By 
Rebecca Trager2018-03-07T14:36:00
The protoplanetary discs that surround young stars and give birth to planets are chemical labs that can reveal which planets might host life
New telescopes are helping to develop a deeper understanding of the chemical processes at the heart of planet formation. This in turn is helping in the search for planets which support a complex range of chemistries and, as a result, might just host life. Stars form when an interstellar cloud collapses into a protostar, and then protoplanetary discs – made of gas and dust – begin to form around the protostar. These discs are the birthplace of planets.