Seven planets discovered orbiting a nearby 'ultra cool dwarf' starThe unexpected discovery is enormously exciting, for several reasons. One is that the little star, which in their whimsical way the scientists named Trappist-1 after the telescope in Chile initially used to study it, is a mere 40 light-years from Earth, which is next door in cosmic terms. The search for alien life can now start far sooner than anticipated, especially with new telescopes about to come into service, and some answers might be available within a decade.