of james webb space telescope (JWST) monitoring us from another star system in the Milky Way galaxy, it would be able to spot signs of our civilization on Earth, a new study shows. The discovery raises hopes that this cutting-edge spacecraft will be able to peer into the distant reaches of the galaxy and detect alien civilizations.
Since its launch in late 2021, JWST has primarily the deepest part of the universe In search of clues about how the early universe formed. But one of the telescope’s secondary purposes is to analyze the atmospheres of nearby exoplanets and planets outside our solar system, detecting gases produced by biological life known as biosignatures and detecting gases produced by biological life known as technosignatures. Searching for chemicals produced by advanced alien civilizations.
Related: Are aliens real?
However, despite being the most advanced telescope currently in operation, it is still unclear how well JWST will be able to detect telltale signs of intelligent life. To answer this question, researchers set out to use space telescopes to detect intelligent life from Earth, the only planet known to be habitable and still inhabited in space. We decided to test whether we could successfully detect the .
New research will be uploaded to preprint servers arXiv On August 28, researchers captured spectra of Earth’s atmosphere and deliberately lowered the quality of the data to mimic what it would look like to an observer dozens of light years away. The team then used computer models that replicated JWST’s sensor capabilities to identify key bio- and techno-signatures from the dataset, including methane, oxygen, nitrogen dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) produced by biological life forms. We checked whether the spacecraft could detect it. something produced by humans.
The results, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, indicate that JWST is likely to be able to detect all key markers of non-intelligent and intelligent life in Earth’s atmosphere.
Related: The Milky Way galaxy may have hundreds of millions of habitable planets, new study suggests
The researchers noted that the quality of the modified datasets was roughly equivalent. JWST observation of planets by TRAPPIST-1 — A system containing seven exoplanets orbiting a red dwarf star about 40 light-years from Earth. This suggests that the telescope should be able to detect life forms and alien civilizations on exoplanets within her 40 light years of Earth. However, the researchers believe that JWST may be able to detect signs of extraterrestrial life up to 50 light years from Earth.
Only about 20 exoplanets have been officially discovered within a 50-light-year radius of Earth, but based on the number of stars thought to exist in this region of space, there are actually many within JWST’s reach. Experts predict that there could be as many as 4,000 exoplanets.to Project EDENan international astronomical collaboration dedicated to discovering potentially habitable planets near Earth.
However, this does not guarantee that JWST will be able to detect life forms on other planets.
Detecting biosignatures and technosignatures from other worlds “may prove difficult to interpret without contextual knowledge of the habitable environment,” the researchers wrote. In this study, the team already knew what markers to look for, but those signs of life may not be as obvious on exoplanets with different conditions and alternative potential life forms and technology. No, they added.
JWST has already made some interesting discoveries about near-Earth exoplanets.telescope Water scattered around Neptune-sized exoplanet GJ 1214bTRAPPIST-1b, the second closest exoplanet to stars in the TRAPPIST-1 system, is about 40 light-years away from Earth. Most likely there is no atmosphere at all. Due to extreme heat. The spacecraft also Huge sandstorm in the atmosphere of VHS 1256 ba “super Jupiter” exoplanet 40 light years from Earth.
Closer to home, we also detected JWST. Giant geyser erupts from Saturn’s moon EnceladusIt may contain chemical components necessary for life. And further into the universe, the spaceship also Glimpses of potentially life-giving carbon compounds in infant star systems It is more than 1,000 light years away from Earth.