Our survey of the sky is uncovering the secrets of how planets are born

By Christian Ginski, Lecturer of astronomy, University of Galway

When we look out to the stars, it is typically not a yearning for the distant depths of outer space that drives us. When we are looking out there, we are truly looking back at ourselves. We try to understand our place in the unimaginable vastness of the universe.

One of the most burning questions that drives us is how unique we are. Did life only emerge here on Earth or is our galaxy teaming with it?

The very first step in finding out is to understand how special the Earth really is – and, by extension, our entire Solar System. This requires knowledge about how solar systems…

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