The Search for Life

An approachable introduction to the astronomy of extraterrestrial life.

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered, ＂Is there anybody out there?＂ The stars you see are the suns of other solar systems, each with its own complex story of formation and evolution, perhaps leading to an environment where life can exist. The Search for Life explores the possibility of other life in the universe, from the prospect of ancient bacteria locked away in dried up lakebeds on Mars to the likelihood of contacting an interstellar civilization on the far side of the galaxy. Delve into extraterrestrial possibilities, from the first suggestions of alien life to cutting-edge missions that seek to answer one of life’s biggest questions--are we alone?

Hannah Banyard is an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.