Friday, 27 August 2021

Signs of Life?

Astronomers, looking for life on exoplanets (those associated with other suns), have tended to concentrate on Earth-like bodies. These are, planets of similar mass to the Earth, with water and temperatures like ours. Earth-like planets are, however, comparatively rare. It is also difficult to detect 'biosignatures' associated with 'life' in their atmospheres. Astronomers (Cambridge University) have suggested switching attention to hycean planets (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/aug/26/mini-neptune-beyond-solar-system-may-soon-yield-sign-life-hycean-exoplanet-cambridge-astronomer). Hycean ('mini-Neptune') planets are more common. They are much bigger than the Earth, but are hot, ocean-covered with hydrogen-rich atmospheres. The Cambridge astronomers reckon, as hycean planets will be easier to study, we might be able to pick up biosignatures of life in 2-3 years. In time, before destroying life on our own planet?
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