His team used a 32-meter radio telescope to search for water maser emissions, telltale microwaves which could indicate water in a planets atmosphere when it is bathed in the infrared light of its star. Cosmovici said his team found the emissions in three planetary systems. Hugh Jones, of Liverpool John Moores University, said it could be an exciting first step in the search for signs of life on other planets. "Waters at the top of the shopping list of ingredients for life," he told the magazine.
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992810
