Searching for Alien Biosignatures | NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

Searching for Alien Biosignatures | NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

One of the many goals of the James Webb Space Telescope is to help characterize the atmospheres of exoplanets using a technique called spectroscopy, which splits light into different wavelengths allowing scientists to determine the elemental makeup of a distant object.

Astrobiologists like Dr. Giada Arney from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center are excited about this capability because it allows scientists to continue collecting evidence for possible biosignatures, or remotely observable signs of life. Some important biosignatures on Earth include oxygen and methane, which are direct results of biological processes of plants and animals. However, when looking at exoplanets, scientists must rule out other non-life methods of creating those signatures, like volcanism and atmospheric processes.

Extraordinary claims, such as finding life on another planet, must have extraordinary evidence, and while Webb will help contribute to that effort, it alone will not be enough to truly detect life on an exoplanet.

Learn more about Webb’s mission: http://webb.nasa.gov

Learn more about the search for life: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov

Credit: NASA Astrobiology

Music by Coma-Media from Pixabay: https://pixabay.com

Duration: 2 minutes, 10 seconds

Release Date: March 1, 2022

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