"Aliens, watch this Space"

I, Science 20 March 2006
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FEBRUARY: Krypton, Dagobah, Vulcan and Arrakis have long been hailed as inhabited worlds by science fiction junkies. But now astronomers have boldly gone some way towards identifying genuine planetary candidates for alien life.

Margaret Turnbull, of the Carnegie Institution in Washington DC, has considered an exhaustive range of factors to compile a shortlist of stars where extra-terrestrial life could most likely live long and prosper.

Beta CVn, a binary star 26 light-years away, is named as the leading contender, while epsilion Indi A is also a force to be reckoned with.

This enterprising search is far from exhaustive, however: "There are bazillions of stars in the sky to look at, but we can't look at every single one with the scrutiny that we'd like to," said Dr Turnbull. "These are places I'd want to live if God were to put our planet around another star."

"Nuqjathl? Nuqdaq oh puchpa'e? Hab sosli' quch!" said a Klingon source.