Is there really life on planet K2-18b? We can’t rule it out, but some key questions must be answered | Nathalie Cabrol
A new study of a sphere orbiting a red dwarf star 124 light years from Earth is raising hopes. Here’s why the evidence is inconclusive
- Nathalie Cabrol is director of the Carl Sagan Center at the Seti Institute
Astrobiology has entered an exciting new phase in recent decades. Since the 1990s, but accelerating in recent years, researchers have begun confirming the existence of exoplanets – that is, planets outside our own solar system – and studying their properties. We now know that planets are common, and a sizeable fraction orbit in the habitable zone of their parent star – suggesting they could have the conditions to sustain biological life.