Présenté par / Presented by :
Michel Mayor, Professor Emeritus at the University of Geneva, Department of Astronomy
Résumé / Abstract :
Are there other worlds in the universe? Does life exist elsewhere in the cosmos? Today’s technology has transformed this ancient dream into a fascinating field of astrophysics.
Three decades after the discovery of the first planet orbiting a star like our sun, a few thousand planetary systems have been discovered, often very different from our own solar system.
Does life exist in other parts of the cosmos? Analysis of planetary atmospheres could reveal biosignatures, the spectral characteristics induced by the development of life. Advances in spectroscopic studies of exoplanets suggest that the search for extraterrestrial life is possible.