Astronomers have found a solar system 160 light years away with three planets roughly the size of our own.
On planets more massive than the Earth, launching things in to space will be a lot more challenging.
A meteorite that crashed in the Nubian Desert has offered a glimpse of our solar system's earliest days.
A renewed hunt for Earth-like worlds has yielded a haul of 95 previously undiscovered extrasolar planets.
Scientists have used microlensing to discover planets in a galaxy over 3.8 billion light years away.
It is looking increasingly likely that the Trappist-1 system's seven worlds could be home to alien life.
The next generation telescope will enable us to directly study the atmospheres of extrasolar planets.
Scientists believe that interstellar dust streams might be able to transfer organisms between planets.
Situated just 11 light years away, Ross 128 b is shaping up to be a promising place to look for life.
Observations of our closest neighboring star have revealed the possible presence of multiple planets.
Astronomers have observed an extrasolar planet with some of the weirdest weather conditions ever seen.
Venus, Mars and Mercury will all be temporarily disappearing behind the Moon over the next few hours.
A 'hot Jupiter' world situated 1,400 light years away reflects so little light that it appears pitch black.
Astronomers have identified nine planets from which intelligent aliens could potentially be watching us.
Four of the seven planets in the Trappist-1 system are thought to be home to large amounts of water.
ESA is set to launch a new satellite that will seek out potentially habitable extrasolar planets.
Scientists believe that these new worlds lie in the 'Goldilocks zone' of their respective solar systems.
At twice the size of Jupiter, KELT-9b experiences temperatures in excess of 4300 degrees Celsius.
Scientists have announced the discovery of a freezing Earth-mass world 13,000 light years away.
A large terrestrial planet located 40 light years away could be the perfect place to search for ET.