Is there life on worlds that are light-years away? To find out, we don’t have to travel there—often, a close look at the light is enough. Researchers use the faint light from distant exoplanets to find clues about their atmospheres, composition, and potential conditions for life. This is also the approach of the planned LIFE space mission, led by ETH Zurich. It could bring us closer to answering the ultimate question: Are we alone in the universe?