THE star 37 Gem is the 37th brightest star in the constellation of Gemini, just north-east of Orion, 42 light years away. This stable, middle-aged star is just a bit hotter and brighter than our sun. And if alien life is anywhere, it’s likely to be here.
Astrobiologist Maggie Turnbull from the University of Arizona in Tucson has been choosing the targets for NASA’s ambitious space-telescope project, the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF), which will search for habitable planets after its launch, planned for around 10 years’ time.
She compiled a set of criteria that should add up to a comfy…
