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\n Artist’s impression of TRAPPIST-1e planet, as of 2018<\/p>\n
NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/p>\n
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NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/p>\n
Want to be a top notch candidate for hosting alien life? <\/p>\n
Then there’s a few key requirements you should be aware of: Ideally, you’re a large object like a moon or a planet; scientists suspect you also have an atmosphere and water; plus, you should orbit your star from a nice mid-range distance \u2014 in the “Goldilocks Zone” of habitability. <\/p>\n
Until recently, you would be competing against TRAPPIST-1 e. It’s a planet outside of our solar system. TRAPPIST-1 e is also only 40 light years away, rocky and the same size as Earth, which prompted researchers to investigate whether it also has an atmosphere \u2014 and the potential for alien life. A team of researchers has been investigating TRAPPIST-1 e to learn more about its potential. Their answers, recently published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, say a lot not just about this exoplanet, but about how scientists should refocus their hunt for alien life.<\/p>\n
Interested in more space science? Email us your question at\u00a0shortwave@npr.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n