Methane (CH4) is a primarily biogenic greenhouse gas. As such, it represents an essential biosignature to search for life on exoplanets.
biosignature
Posted inAnalog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Retrievals Applied To A Decision Tree Framework Can Characterize Earth-like Exoplanet Analogs
Exoplanet characterization missions planned for the future will soon enable searches for life beyond our solar system. Critical to the search will be the development of life detection strategies that […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Status Report
Mars Rock Samples: The Stories They Could Tell
What secrets could we unravel by studying Mars samples in state-of-the-art labs on Earth? Scientists around the globe are eager to find out.
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Microbiology & Virology, Plant Biology, Press Release
On The Importance And Challenges Of Modelling Extraterrestrial Photopigments Via Density-functional Theory
The emergence of oxygenic photosynthesis was a major event in Earth’s evolutionary history and was facilitated by chlorophylls (a major category of photopigments).
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report
An Extensively Validated C/H/O/N Chemical Network For Hot Exoplanet Disequilibrium Chemistry
We aimed to build a new and updated C0-C2 chemical network to study the CHON disequilibrium chemistry of warm and hot exoplanet atmospheres that relies on extensively validated and recent […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, SETI & Technosignatures, Status Report
A Complex Systems Approach to Exoplanet Atmospheric Chemistry: New Prospects for Ruling Out the Possibility of Alien Life-As-We-Know-It
The near-term capability to characterize terrestrial exoplanet atmospheres may bring us closer to discovering alien life through atmospheric data.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Water Absorption In The Transmission Spectrum Of The Water-world Candidate GJ9827d
Recent work on the characterization of small exoplanets has allowed us to accumulate growing evidence that the sub-Neptunes with radii greater than ∼2.5R⊕ often host H2/He-dominated atmospheres both from measurements […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, SETI & Technosignatures, Status Report
Fully Fluorinated Non-carbon Compounds NF3 And SF6 As Ideal Technosignature Gases
Waste gas products from technological civilizations may accumulate in an exoplanet atmosphere to detectable levels. We propose nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) as ideal technosignature gases.
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors
Life Detection Techniques Inspired By Developments And Tools In Physical And Biological Sciences
Human imagination has long been captivated by the pursuit of life outside of Earth. Is life a phenomenon that extends beyond the limits of Earth, or are humans alone in […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Status Report
A Simple Biochemical Method for the Detection of Proteins as Biomarkers of Life on Martian Soil Simulants and the Impact of UV Radiation
The search for life on other planets relies on the detection of biosignatures of life. Many macromolecules have been suggested as potential targets, among which are proteins that are considered […]