Planets raining iron, planets being consumed by their parent star or planets featuring globe-spanning oceans—the variety of known exoplanets has far exceeded even the most fantastical ideas from science fiction. And we’re barely scratching the surface; only several thousand worlds have been confirmed out of an estimated trillion or more in our galaxy alone. But while we have gotten quite good at detecting exoplanets, characterizing them—discerning what their environment is actually like—is another, far more difficult feat. Yet using mere trickles of light collected through telescopes, astronomers are able to combine clever modeling, reasonable assumptions and serious detective work to uncover these riches. And it will take all these tools and more to claim the real prize: the discovery of life on another world.
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