The study of the origins, distribution, and future of life in the Universe is the multi-disciplinary science of Astrobiology. At Steward Observatory, astrobiology has a several decade-long heritage: Our projects range from understanding the origins of organics and volatiles in pre-stellar environment through studies of the formation and evolution of planetary systems to the discovery and detailed characterization of planets around other stars, including technologies and method to support search for atmospheric signatures of life.

Many of our observational, theoretical, and instrumentation projects are driven by the big questions of astrobiology. 

Research conducted in the field of astrobiology is supported by some of the largest NASA- and NSF-funded projects. These include Alien Earths (PI: Daniel Apai), a large international, multi-disciplinary team funded by the NASA Astrobiology program. The Alien Earths team works toward answering the question: Which nearby planetary systems are likely to host habitable planets and life? The Alien Earths project – and its precursor EOS – have already led to over 200 refereed publications, cited over 5,000 times. 

In 2023, The University of Arizona launched its new Arizona Center for Astrobiology.