The chances of detecting extraterrestrial life are still extremely low. However, the James Webb Space Telescope could be a key instrument in this search mission, which is one of mankind’s fondest dreams.
James Webb is the largest and most powerful space observatory now looking at the TRAPPIST-1 system, a cold red dwarf 41 light-years away from Earth. This star has seven rocky Earth-sized exoplanets, three of which are located in a habitable zone where conditions for liquid water and potential life could exist. The telescope has already achieved a significant success: it has measured the temperature of one of these exoplanets for the first time, marking a historic breakthrough in the study of earth-like planets outside the Solar System.
In 2025, James Webb may make the next breakthrough, exploring the TRAPPIST-1 system and possibly finding signatures for the existence of life on other planets. Lisa Kaltenegger, director of the Carl Sagan Institute and professor of astronomy at Cornell University, writes that.
Complexity in exoplanet exploration
Finding exoplanets, much less exploring them, is incredibly difficult because of their faint light, which is obscured by stars. Cold red dwarfs such as TRAPPIST-1 are interesting to study because of their relatively low brightness. However, these stars are variable, making it difficult to study their planets.
The next phase of the telescope’s observations will involve analyzing the atmospheres of exoplanets. During a planet’s transit in front of a star, its atmosphere filters starlight, creating spectral features that may indicate the presence of molecules associated with life. This requires a detailed analysis of data from several transits to separate the signals of the planets from the star’s emission.
If the right molecules are found, it could indicate the existence of extraterrestrial life forms. Although, it is more likely that we will confirm the presence of water, a discovery that would be significant in itself.
Europa Clipper mission
In addition to the TRAPPIST-1 system, prospects for finding life exist closer to us. For example, Jupiter’s moon Europa probably has an underwater ocean with a volume greater than all of Earth’s seawater. NASA’s Europa Clipper space probe, launched in 2024, will reach Europa by 2030. The spacecraft is expected to provide detailed images of the moon and possibly detect signs of its suitability for life or even alien organisms.
The search for extraterrestrial life is a long and complicated process, but James Webb and future missions like Europa Clipper are opening new horizons for humanity. Each new discovery brings us closer to answering the question that has preoccupied mankind since ancient times: are we alone in the Universe?
Earlier we reported on how scientists called the time of first contact with extraterrestrials.
Provided by Wired
