Planets with many neighbors may be the best places to look for life

Single exoplanets with wild orbits hint at a chaotic past

TRAPPIST-1 exoplanet system

Planetary families with lots of siblings, like the TRAPPIST-1 exoplanet system shown in this illustration, tend to have more circular orbits than singleton worlds. That could mean they’re better places to look for life.

JPL-Caltech/NASA

If you’re looking for life beyond the solar system, there’s strength in numbers.