We now have discovered many planets around nearby stars. Although we can only detect the largest planets, there is every indication that Earth-sized planets are abundant in our galaxy. Many of them are probably within the "habitable zone" of their parent star: just at the right distance to be neither too cold nor too hot for life as we know it.

Recent technological advances are now enabling us to design telescopes and instruments which can directly see light from such "Earth-like" planets. We are also learning how planets form in young solar systems thanks to current obervatories and powerful computer simulations. Finally, by combining recent advances in biology, chemistry, geology and astronomy, we can better understand how life developed on our own planet and learn where and how to look for life elsewhere.