Dr Lisa Kaltenegger, a former NASA mission reviewer and current professor, has recently published an exciting new book titled “The Worlds That Shook Science”. In this book, she explores the various exoplanets in our galaxy that could potentially support life. According to a Daily Mail report, the book discusses numerous exoplanets that have been identified as potentially habitable or Earth-like.
Dr Kaltenegger describes this as a “new golden era of exploration” in astronomy, driven by significant advancements in the field over the past three decades. These planets offer a range of fascinating environments, such as water worlds inhabited by octopus-like creatures, dark planets where the sun never rises, and hostile environments where molten rock falls from the sky.
One of the key tools driving this exploration is the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The JWST’s advanced capabilities enable it to capture light from distant worlds and analyze their atmospheric compositions, which is crucial in determining their potential to support life. Dr Kaltenegger emphasizes the significance of the JWST in this quest for extraterrestrial life. She explains to Big Think that with its 21.3-foot mirror, it is the first telescope capable of collecting sufficient light to explore the chemical composition of other rocky worlds, providing valuable insights into the existence of extraterrestrial life.
Despite the immense technical challenges and vast distances involved in this search for alien life, Dr Kaltenegger remains optimistic. She highlights
