LIFE Beyond Earth: Exploring Exoplanets and the Future of Italian Astrobiology

In the coming decades, the search for life beyond our Solar System will stand as one of humanity’s most profound scientific frontiers. The LIFE mission (Large Interferometer For Exoplanets), currently under study in Europe, represents a visionary step toward this goal — aiming to directly detect and characterize the atmospheres of Earth-like planets orbiting nearby stars. By exploring the intricate interplay between light, chemistry, and habitability, LIFE seeks to address the most compelling question of modern astronomy: Are there other worlds like our own? The national workshop “LIFE Beyond Earth: Exploring Exoplanets and the Future of Italian Astrobiology”, to be held at the Dep. Of Physics and Astronomy, Polo scientifico, Via Giovanni Sansone, 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino FI (March 12–13), invites the Italian scientific community to engage with this ambitious endeavor. Sponsored by the University of Florence, the Osservatorio Polifunzionale del Chianti, and the INAF (Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica), the meeting will provide a fertile ground for discussion among experts in astrophysics, planetary science, interferometry, atmospheric modeling, and data analysis — as well as those interested in the philosophical and cultural implications of the search for life. Our shared goal is to consolidate Italy’s role within the LIFE consortium, to stimulate new collaborations, and to inspire a generation of researchers ready to confront the scientific and technological challenges that await. The workshop will feature keynote presentations from members of the international LIFE team, alongside invited and contributed talks from Italian institutions at the forefront of space instrumentation and exoplanet science. Dedicated sessions for young researchers and PhD students will encourage active participation, networking, and project development. Beyond the excitement of discovery, LIFE also represents a step forward in the evolution of astronomy itself: a mission that will require new technologies in interferometric imaging, precision optics, cryogenics, and data interpretation. It challenges us to push the boundaries of what can be observed, measured, and understood. Gathering under the Florentine sky, we will look toward a future where Italian science contributes decisively to revealing the diversity of planetary