Space
Extraterrestrial Life on Other Planet May be Discovered with New Technique
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Aug 07, 2015 07:24 AM EDT
Is there life on other planets? Scientists have been hunting for extraterrestrial life for years and now, they've developed a new method that may make finding it a bit easier. Researchers have discovered that biopigments of plants leave behind unique traces in the light they reflect, which may allow scientists to determine which planets host life.
Photosynthetic pigments are plant substances that absorb and reflect particular wavelengths of visible light, making them appear in color in the reflected wave ranges. Biopigments are what gives plants, algae, bacteria, and human skin and eyes their colorful appearance.
In this latest study, the researchers found that the part of the visible light spectrum reflected in colors by plants oscillates in particular directions. This means that it becomes polarized. Each biopigment actually leaves a colorful footprint in the polarized light, which means that researchers can detect this biosignature with the help of polarization filters.
"This technique could be instrumental in searching for life in Alpha Centauri, the planetary system closest to the sun," said Svetlana Berdyugina, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Even before such a planet is found, we can use the polarization technique to search for biosignatures that point to life."
This method could be huge when it comes to understanding whether Alpha Centauri B could host life. No planet has yet been found in the system's habitable zone, but it's still possible that one exists. In addition, larger telescopes can be used to examine more distant planetary systems with the same technique in order to continue the hunt for life on other planets.
The findings are published in the International Journal of Astrobiology.
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First Posted: Aug 07, 2015 07:24 AM EDT
Is there life on other planets? Scientists have been hunting for extraterrestrial life for years and now, they've developed a new method that may make finding it a bit easier. Researchers have discovered that biopigments of plants leave behind unique traces in the light they reflect, which may allow scientists to determine which planets host life.
Photosynthetic pigments are plant substances that absorb and reflect particular wavelengths of visible light, making them appear in color in the reflected wave ranges. Biopigments are what gives plants, algae, bacteria, and human skin and eyes their colorful appearance.
In this latest study, the researchers found that the part of the visible light spectrum reflected in colors by plants oscillates in particular directions. This means that it becomes polarized. Each biopigment actually leaves a colorful footprint in the polarized light, which means that researchers can detect this biosignature with the help of polarization filters.
"This technique could be instrumental in searching for life in Alpha Centauri, the planetary system closest to the sun," said Svetlana Berdyugina, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Even before such a planet is found, we can use the polarization technique to search for biosignatures that point to life."
This method could be huge when it comes to understanding whether Alpha Centauri B could host life. No planet has yet been found in the system's habitable zone, but it's still possible that one exists. In addition, larger telescopes can be used to examine more distant planetary systems with the same technique in order to continue the hunt for life on other planets.
The findings are published in the International Journal of Astrobiology.
Related Stories
NASA Creates Robot Drones to Prospect the Moon and Mars for Resources (VIDEO)
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone