3 ms·
I feel like spectroscopy would only give you suggestive evidence of life at best, like if significant quantities of oxygen were detected in the atmosphere of an
by 6177c40f 4y ago
I feel like spectroscopy would only give you suggestive evidence of life at best, like if significant quantities of oxygen were detected in the atmosphere of an Earth-like exoplanet in the habitable zone. I think your best bet for direct detection of life would come from Mars rover or maybe a mission to one of the Jovian moons (but AFAIK no probe will arrive at a Jovian moon in this decade). Not sure either will detect life in this decade, but I sincerely hope you win your bet!
- jarenmf 4y agoMaybe detecting a seasonal cycle for certain compounds will be a very strong evidence. Like the amount of atmospheric CO2 in air changes with seasons on earth.
- nisegami 4y agoThat also happens on Mars as the ice (CO2) at the poles melts and re-forms with the seasons.
- MacsHeadroom 4y agoMethane similarly fluctuates on mars. Neither is strong evidence for life. But it remains possible, if unlikely, that some component of these fluctuations could have a microbial origin.