Could nearby stars have habitable exoplanets? NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory hopes to find out

A giant blazing star hangs in the black of space, burning vibrant yellow and dark orange. A small planet sits to the right, just below the star's equator.

The search for life beyond Earth dutifully continues. Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, as well as the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton, are contributing some new research to the hunt — and hoping to lay the groundwork for future projects.