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call for help
When the next generation of observatories are deployed, Cornell University astronomers hope to use them to scan distant exoplanets orbiting dead stars for signs of life.
When a rocky, Earth-like exoplanet passes in front of the orbiting white dwarf star, astronomers plan to search for fingerprints of life, the past, or the present. And to begin with, Cornell scientists published research in The astrophysical journal Letters Thursday offering a reference to help astronomers make sense of what they find.
Second Life
This particular brand of exoplanet would have survived the death of its host star: White dwarfs are the remnant cores of stars that depleted all their fuel and collapsed. It stands to reason that anything living on those worlds would not survive such a devastating event, but theoretically a new life could have emerged later.
“If we find signs of life on planets orbiting in the light of long-dead stars,” Cornell astronomer Lisa Kaltenegger said in a press release, “the next intriguing question would be whether life survived the star’s death. or if a second genesis started again, if you want.
Cosmic fingerprint
That’s where the new research comes in. Basically it serves as a catalog of what astronomers might find when studying those exoplanets.
“If we look at a transit of that type of planet, scientists can discover what is in its atmosphere, consult this document, compare it with spectral fingerprints and look for signs of life,” said Cornell graduate astronomy student Thea Kozakis. launching. “The publication of this type of guide lets observers know what to look for.”
READ MORE: Astronomers could detect signs of life in orbit around dead stars [Cornell University]
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