The search for extraterrestrial life has been amplified to included "older solar systems," scientists have said.
Astronomers will be focusing on planets orbiting red dwarfs, which are stars that are smaller and dimmer than the sun.
Researchers believe that since red dwarfs live for longer there is a higher chance for its systems to host life.
“This may be one instance in which older is better,” said SETI Institute astronomer Seth Shostak.
“Older solar systems have had more time to produce intelligent species.”
Red Dwarfs are the most common stars in the Milky Way as they form 75 per cent of the stellar population, according to Space.com.
In a statement, SETI outlined:
"The search is being conducted on the SETI Institute’s Allen Telescope Array, located in the Cascade Mountains of northern California.
"This grouping of 42 antennas can currently observe three stars simultaneously."
Up until this point, researchers have sidelined these stars as potential areas for alien life.
However one of SETI's engineers, Jon Richards, states "that's because researchers made the seemingly reasonable assumption that other intelligent species would be on planets orbiting stars similar to the Sun.”