The space scientists have recently made one more step to their primary goal: at the end of February 2017, the representatives of NASA confirmed that one of their projects, Kepler mission, had discovered hundreds of new exoplanets located outside our own solar system. Of course, the discovery of an inhabited exoplanet remains the long-term perspective. Still, the tools used by scientists are the most effective and convenient nowadays. The usage of such tools allows analyzing the potential of any planetary system of the world, as it involves the prioritization of exoplanets for biosignature detection.
The implementation of such tools happens on several levels. First of all, it is necessary to emphasize that life needs water. According to the contemporary knowledge in this field, an exoplanet must be located in the so-called “habitable zone” to be able to sustain life. The habitable zone is the region around the host star, similar to our Sun, which has the temperature range suitable for the water to remain liquid and stay on a planet’s surface. NASA scientists have already discovered four exoplanets which are located in the habitable zone of their host stars. This fact, however, is not enough. To be considered as a habitable one, a certain exoplanet should also have the surface temperature, escape velocity and density similar to Earth. Also, such features as radius, rotation, the planet’s tilt and atmosphere should be taken into account. Only the relation between all these factors may allow the scholars to identify the exoplanet as the one that can face habitability. There are numerous objections that remain significant. The new findings by NASA provided more details about icy, ocean-bearing moons of Saturn, which means that life is possible even outside the habitable zone.

The fact that there are clear characteristics of exoplanet habitability is crucial for further development of this field of science. As long as certain features are identified, it is possible to engage the students at all levels of investigation nowadays.