2023-09-14 06:00:05
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) might detect signs of human civilization on Earth if it observed us from another star system in the Milky Way, according to a new study. This discovery opens the way to the possibility that JWST might also spot extraterrestrial civilizations.
Different types of technosignatures.
Image Wikimedia Commons
Launched at the end of 2021, the JWST mainly examined the far reaches of the Universe to understand its formation. One of its secondary missions is to analyze the atmospheres of nearby exoplanets to look for biosignatures and technosignatures, gases produced by life. (Life is the name given:) biological and advanced civilizations.
To evaluate the JWST’s abilities to detect signs of intelligent life, researchers simulated its observation of the Earth (Earth is the third planet in the Solar System in order of distance…). They degraded the quality of terrestrial atmospheric data to match what the telescope (from the Greek telescope) meaning “far” and skopein meaning…) would see for dozens of light years. The results, although not yet peer-reviewed, show that JWST might likely detect signs of non-intelligent and intelligent life on our planet (A planet is a celestial body orbiting the Sun or another star in…).
The study suggests that JWST might detect signs of life on exoplanets up to 50 light years from Earth. According to the EDEN project, around 4,000 exoplanets might be found at this distance. However, the detection of life on other planets is not guaranteed.
This graph shows the raw atmospheric data used in the new study. Specific biosignatures and technosignatures are highlighted in different colors.
Credit: Lustig-Yaeger, et al
The researchers point out that interpreting biosignatures and technosignatures can be difficult without contextual knowledge. JWST has already made some interesting discoveries, such as detecting water on exoplanet GJ 1214b and huge geysers on the moon ( The Moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth and the fifth largest satellite of…) Enceladus of Saturn.
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