Astronomers are beginning to find ways to study other solar systems and their planets in detail. For example, there's a system 130 light years away that has at least four huge planets-- all much bigger than Jupiter-- that looks to have an asteroid belt and perhaps an Oort cloud. There may also be smaller worlds close to the young star.
One of the big planets is bright enough and far enough away from the star to allow astronomers to image it directly and analyze the chemical makeup of its atmosphere, which contains, among other components, water.
The next generation of Earth-based telescope will be able to study even smaller, dimmer exoplanets. It will be a fascinating next few decades.
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