A new study suggests that the proposed LIFE mission, which will use a network of five satellites to observe exoplanets, could detect signs of life on Earth if it was aimed at our planet. What does this mean for the search for alien civilizations?
Introduction
The search for life beyond Earth is one of the most fascinating and challenging endeavors of modern science. Astronomers have discovered thousands of planets orbiting other stars, some of which may have the right conditions to support life. But how can we tell if any of these worlds are actually inhabited by living beings?
One way is to look for chemical signatures in their atmospheres that indicate the presence of biological processes, such as oxygen, methane or ozone. These molecules are called biomarkers, and they can be detected by analyzing the spectrum of light that passes through or is emitted by a planet’s atmosphere.
However, detecting biomarkers is not easy, especially for small and rocky planets like Earth that are far away from their stars. To do so, we need powerful telescopes that can collect enough light from these faint and distant objects and resolve their spectral features.
The LIFE mission
One such telescope is the Large Interferometer for Exoplanets (LIFE) mission, which is being developed by a team of researchers from ETH Zurich and other institutions. LIFE is a proposed space mission that will consist of five small satellites that will fly in formation near the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which is scheduled to launch in late 2021.
The five satellites will work together as one large telescope that will operate in the mid-infrared range, which is ideal for detecting thermal emissions from exoplanets. By combining the light from the satellites using a technique called interferometry, LIFE will be able to achieve a high angular resolution and sensitivity, comparable to a single telescope with a diameter of 30 meters.
LIFE’s main goal is to observe terrestrial exoplanets that are similar in size and temperature to Earth and measure their atmospheric composition and surface features. By doing so, LIFE hopes to find evidence of habitability and life on these worlds.
Earth as an alien planet
But how well can LIFE actually detect signs of life on exoplanets? To answer this question, a group of researchers from ETH Zurich decided to use Earth as a test case. They simulated how Earth would appear to LIFE if it was observed from a distance of 30 light-years, which is roughly the distance to the nearest potentially habitable exoplanet, Proxima Centauri b.
They used data from a NASA Earth observation satellite and generated synthetic spectra of Earth’s thermal emission in the mid-infrared range. They then applied various methods to analyze these spectra and look for clues about Earth’s atmosphere and surface.
They considered three different scenarios: two views from the poles of Earth and one equatorial view. They also accounted for seasonal variations by using data from January and July.
Results and implications
The researchers found that LIFE would be able to detect several key atmospheric gases on Earth, such as carbon dioxide, water, ozone and methane. These gases are important indicators of Earth’s climate and biosphere, as they are influenced by both physical and biological processes.
They also found that LIFE would be able to infer the presence of liquid water on Earth’s surface, which is essential for life as we know it. This would be possible by measuring the contrast between land and ocean regions in the thermal emission spectra.
Moreover, they found that LIFE would be able to detect ozone and methane together, which is considered a strong biosignature, as these two gases are unlikely to coexist in large amounts without the intervention of life.
The results of this study suggest that LIFE would be able to identify Earth as a habitable and inhabited planet if it was observed from afar. This also implies that if there are alien civilizations out there with similar or more advanced technology than ours, they could potentially detect us by using similar methods.
This study also demonstrates the potential of the LIFE mission to explore exoplanets and search for life beyond our solar system. By using a novel approach that combines multiple small satellites into one large telescope, LIFE could achieve unprecedented capabilities in exoplanet science.
Conclusion
The search for life on other worlds is one of the most exciting quests of our time. The proposed LIFE mission could make a significant contribution to this endeavor by observing terrestrial exoplanets in the mid-infrared range and looking for signs of habitability and life.
By using Earth as an example, researchers have shown that LIFE could detect key atmospheric gases, surface water and biosignatures on our planet if it was viewed from 30 light-years away. This also means that we could be detectable by alien observers with similar technology.
The LIFE mission is still in the early stages of development, but it has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of exoplanets and our place in the universe.
Recent Blog : First Successful Laser-Cooled Positronium in Quantum Research