At the time when the next-generation observatories are being put into operation, the expert team from Cornell University (USA) begins to pursue this dream of searching for life.
In the next few years, humanity may take a significant step closer to the goal of searching for extraterrestrial life. The construction of a massive astronomical observatory in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile is nearing completion, and the James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled for launch into space next year.
In the meantime, American astronomers have already laid out plans to search for signs of life on Earth-like planets passing by white dwarf stars. According to a report in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the research team from Cornell University has outlined their methods and expectations in the quest to detect signs of life beyond Earth, whether past or present.
Humanity has been in constant pursuit of extraterrestrial life for a long time. NASA
Second-life
Cornell University experts believe that these are the type of planets that may exist after the death of a central star, which has turned into a white dwarf after depleting its energy and collapsing. According to theory, life would likely be wiped out from these planets when the central star dies, but the concept of “second-life” suggests that life might once again emerge from the ashes.
To be able to detect indicators of the existence of life on these target planets, the expert team is focused on observing them as they pass in front of white dwarf stars. With the aid of next-generation observatories and telescopes, they hope to identify markers that indicate the presence of life on the surface of these planets, such as the presence of methane combined with ozone or nitrous oxide, gases and compounds found in Earth’s atmosphere.
The Sun is likely to become a white dwarf when it exhausts its fuel. NASA
“If we can find signs of life on planets orbiting long-dead stars, the next question will be whether life can still exist despite the central star’s demise, or if it can be wiped out and then return,” says astronomer Lisa Kaltenegger of Cornell University.
The answers to these questions are of utmost importance, as they could help humanity envision future scenarios. Our own Sun, in billions of years, will become a white dwarf once it exhausts its fuel. Earth will then be in a state similar to the planets we are preparing to study