An international team of scientists has designed a tool that will make it possible to locate life on planets outside our solar system. This new form is based on the search for methane, a gas considered one of the pillars of life .
To find out what a remote planet orbiting a distant star is made of, astronomers analyze how that planet's atmosphere absorbs different colors of light from its sun and then compare the data obtained with a model, or spectrum. , which allows to identify the nature of the different molecules present. In this case, the molecule in question is methane.
Methane can be produced by geological sources, but its organic compound could also be a sign of biological activity , so finding methane could be a potential sign of life.
The system uses supercomputers that detect a new methane absorption spectrum, 2,000 times broader than previous models , which is why it is capable of detecting this organic molecule at temperatures of up to 1,229ºC .
Thanks to this new search tool for extraterrestrial life, scientists will be able to have a more complete idea of the abundance of methane in failed stars or brown dwarfs, as well as in extraterrestrial worlds and who knows, if in the future, we could talk about a new milestone in the astronomical world.
Image Credit: ESA
