# How Do Stars Influence the Search for Life? We Asked a NASA Expert (Horizontal)

How do stars influence the search for life? When astronomers search for life on other worlds, they look for atmospheric molecules called biosignatures, or gases that could indicate biological activity. But starlight can dramatically alter a planet’s atmosphere through photochemistry, sometimes creating or destroying these signals. A NASA scientist explains why understanding a planet’s star is essential when searching for life beyond our solar system.

- Kind: Short
- Year: 2026
- Runtime: 1 min
- By: NASA Headquarters
- Genres: Space
- Archive: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:How_Do_Stars_Influence_the_Search_for_Life%3F_We_Asked_a_NASA_Expert_(Horizontal).webm)
- Licence or status: Public domain (as the archive states it)
- Credit: NASA Headquarters
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/commons/190855724?play=1)