NEID also means "to discover" in the language of the Tohono O'odham tribe who governs the land where Kitt Peak is located. It's certainly a fitting name, since the instrument will allow scientists to search for exoplanets on the ground. The tool will hunt for planets, especially Earth-like ones orbiting stars that resemble our sun, by measuring a star's "wobble." This back-and-forth movement is typically caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet, so the size of the wobble can indicate the size of planet itself. NASA can then use the power of space telescopes to look into those systems further. The agency is hoping that the instrument can contribute to its efforts to find proof of life -- certainly not an easy feat -- elsewhere in the universe.