We keep looking for aliens — but are aliens looking for us?
Something in the air
Light passing through our atmosphere would reveal the presence of large concentrations ofoxygen, along with methane and other gases revealing life on our world.
Astronomers are just now developing the ability to search the atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars, looking for telltale signs of life. In the coming years, astronomers could find the chemical fingerprints of life on other worlds.
In the video below, Lisa Kaltenegger of Cornell University discusses her study of worlds where extraterrestrials may be able to detect life on Earth. (Video credit: Cornell University)
TheJames Webb Space Telescope, due for launch in 2021, will be capable of searching the atmospheres of distant planets, searching for the telltale signs of life.
“The main way we identify planets orbiting distant stars is by measuring regular dips in starlight caused by planets blocking out bits of their sun,” Dr.Barnaby Norrisof the University of Sydney stated.
Don’t twinkle, twinkle little star…
Movements in Earth’s atmosphere create the twinkling commonly seen in stars. Although beautiful on a starlit night, it plays havoc with astronomical observations. Because of this, nearly all exoplanet discoveries were made using space-based telescopes.
Adaptive optics utilize a laser to measure distortion in theatmosphere. This information is fed to computerized motors which warp mirrors, correcting for the flickering.
A new photonic wavefront sensor developed at the University of Sydney uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to correct for this distortion on ground-based telescopes. This could allow astronomers to searchexoplanetsfor the chemical fingerprints of life.
“If we’re looking for intelligent life in the universe, that could find us and might want to get in touch. We’ve just created the star map of where we should look first,” Kaltenegger said.
Some of the stars identified in this study can be seen fromEarthwithout the need for binoculars or a telescope. Always remember, as you look up at the stars, that someone — something — up there may be looking back at us.
This article was originally published onThe Cosmic CompanionbyJames Maynard, founder and publisher of The Cosmic Companion. He is a New England native turned desert rat in Tucson, where he lives with his lovely wife, Nicole, and Max the Cat. You can read this original piecehere.
Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companionis also available as a weekly podcast, carried on all major podcast providers. Tune in every Tuesday for updates on the latest astronomy news, and interviews with astronomers and other researchers working to uncover the nature of the Universe.
Story byThe Cosmic Companion
Exploring the wonders of the Cosmos, one mystery at a time.Exploring the wonders of the Cosmos, one mystery at a time.
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