For centuries, humans have been fascinated by the possibility of life beyond our planet. In recent years, advancements in technology have made it possible for us to explore the cosmos like never before, leading to some exciting discoveries and breakthroughs in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Recent Discoveries

One of the most exciting recent breakthroughs in the search for extraterrestrial life is the discovery of exoplanets. These are planets that orbit stars other than the Sun and could potentially host life. NASA's Kepler mission has discovered thousands of exoplanets since it was launched in 2009. In 2015, NASA's Kepler mission discovered Kepler-452b, a planet similar in size, temperature and orbit to our own Earth and located in the habitable zone of its host star. This means that the planet could, in theory, have liquid water on its surface, a key ingredient for the development of life as we know it.

Another recent discovery that has excited scientists is the potential for life on one of our closest neighbors, Mars. NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered that ancient Mars had the right conditions for microbial life to exist. In 2018, the rover also detected organic molecules on the planet, which could be a sign of past or present life on Mars.

And it's not just our own solar system that's being studied for signs of life. In 2017, scientists discovered a planet named Ross 128 b, which is located just 11 light-years away from Earth and could have the right conditions for life to exist.

What's Next?

The search for extraterrestrial life is an ongoing quest and there are a number of exciting projects and missions currently underway.

One of the most anticipated upcoming missions is NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, which is set to launch in 2021. The telescope will be capable of studying the atmospheres of exoplanets, which could help us determine if they could host life. The European Space Agency's PLATO mission, set to launch in 2026, will also aim to discover more exoplanets and search for signs of life.

Another exciting project is Breakthrough Listen, a $100 million initiative launched in 2016 to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life in the Milky Way galaxy. The project uses advanced telescopes and software to listen for signals coming from other planets or civilizations.

All of these projects and missions show that we're getting closer and closer to finding evidence of extraterrestrial life. While we still don't know if we're alone in the universe, the latest breakthroughs and ongoing research offer hope that we'll one day make contact with other intelligent beings.