Signs of alien life may be hiding in these gases

Strange aliens could be hiding in gases, scientists say

Gases could be found relatively easily and quickly with existing equipment

NASA’s Webb Could Detect Alien Life in Hours – Here’s How

Scientists are rethinking how to detect alien life by focusing on planets vastly different from Earth. Instead of searching for familiar biosignatures like oxygen, they’re investigating methyl halides – gases produced by microbes on Earth that could be more easily detected in the thick hydrogen atmospheres of Hycean planets. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) [...]

Signs of alien life may be hiding in these gases

Scientists have identified a promising new way to detect life on faraway planets, hinging on worlds that look nothing like Earth and gases rarely considered in the search for extraterrestrials.

Gaseous planets are much easier to study than Earth. Gaseous planets have very little atmospheric noise. The James Webb Telescope can easily study gaseous planets. Science fiction writers have described life on gaseous planets for decades. This is not the first time that science has been inspired by science fiction novels. American astronomers believe that we have been looking for aliens in the wrong places so far, that we could find life in the…

This method would involve detecting biosignatures on hypothetical hycean planets, with atmospheres composed of hydrogen and orbiting red stars. More information: The James Webb celebrates two years of discovery and NASA celebrates it with this photo of two galaxies intertwining

Leicester engineers invited to present at UK’s largest space industry event

A leading Open University expert will reveal how studying extreme environments on Earth plays a vital role in planning life-detection space missions at a free talk in Leicester. Professor Karen Olsson-Francis is best known for her work focussing on microorganisms that live in extreme environments, including the International Space Station. The highly-respected microbiologist is set to bring her talk, ‘Living Life at the Limits,’ to Space Park Le…