NASA’s orbiting Kepler telescope may soon enable us to spot signs of alien life.

The observatory is designed to detect Earthlike planets. Though it is only in its testing phase, the BBC reports that Kepler has already detected the atmosphere of a planet — though not an Earthlike one — 1,000 light years from Earth.

This is a crucial capability in the search for life: some atmospheric compositions would be strongly suggestive of a living biosphere. (And some might even begin to hint at a technological civilization.) If such a planet were discovered, it could move us closer to the question of whether there is life elsewhere, and greatly boost our impulse to find out more about the phenomena, spurring attention and funding.

(Image courtesy NASA)