The universe has told us the most common types of planets are small planets, and our study shows these are exactly the ones that are most likely to be orbiting Alpha Centauri A and B. — Debra Fischer Copy Share Image
The building blocks of life are readily available throughout the universe. — Debra Fischer Copy Share Image
The first exoplanet to be found around a sun-like star was discovered in 1995, just two years before I began studying exoplanet detection. — Debra Fischer Copy Share Image
Naturally, we think that finding another Earth-like planet is identifying a site that's at least friendly here for the evolution of life. The primary… — Debra Fischer Copy Share Image
Kepler's blown the lid off everything we know about extra-solar planets. — Debra Fischer Copy Share Image
Our field is very focused on finding Earth 2.0, and anything we can do to narrow the search is helpful. — Debra Fischer Copy Share Image
It now seems logical that all the stars, like our own sun, must have formed with a system of planets around them. — Debra Fischer Copy Share Image
In 1999, my team discovered that the star Upsilon Andromedae was circled by three gas-giant planets - the first distant multiplanet system ever found.… — Debra Fischer Copy Share Image
Because Alpha Centauri is so close, it is our first stop outside our solar system. There's almost certain to be small, rocky planets around… — Debra Fischer Copy Share Image
As our sensitivity improves, we are finally seeing planets with longer orbital periods, planetary systems that look more like our solar system. — Debra Fischer Copy Share Image
There's no doubt that the search for planets is motivated by the search for life. Humans are interested in whether or not life evolves… — Debra Fischer Copy Share Image
Further ahead, I'd like to see tiny spacebots - smaller than your cell phone - travel outside our solar system to the nearest star… — Debra Fischer Copy Share Image
