+- Scivillage.com Casual Discussion Science Forum (https://www.scivillage.com)
+-- Forum: Science (https://www.scivillage.com/forum-61.html)
+--- Forum: Meteorology & Climatology (https://www.scivillage.com/forum-72.html)
+--- Thread: Searching exoplanets for atmospheric pollution as evidence of alien civilizations (/thread-9807.html)
Searching exoplanets for atmospheric pollution as evidence of alien civilizations - C C - Feb 11, 2021
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9250775/NASA-proposes-looking-atmospheric-pollution-exoplanets-evidence-alien-civilizations.html
INTRO: Scientists traditionally search for aliens by listening for radio signals coming from distant planets, but NASA proposes a new method that looks for pollution. Scientists suggest that if an exoplanet is inhabited by a technological civilization, its atmosphere will be filled with nitrogen dioxide gas (NO2) because 76 percent of NO2 emission on Earth are due to industrial activities, such as burning fossil fuels.
In the new study, the American space agency began by determining if NO2 pollution produces a signal that can be detected with current or future telescopes. The team found that for an Earth-like planet orbiting a sun-like star, a civilization producing the same amount of NO2 as ours could be detected up to about 30 light-years away.
However, it can only be done with about 400 hours of observing time using a future large NASA telescope observing at visible wavelengths – but the similar amount of time was conducted for the Hubble Space Telescope for the famous Deep Field observations... (MORE)