Life Beyond the Solar System: Remotely Detectable Biosignatures Article Swipe
YOU?
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· 2018
· Open Access
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· OA: W3011978924
For the first time in human history, we will soon be able to apply the\nscientific method to the question "Are We Alone?" The rapid advance of\nexoplanet discovery, planetary systems science, and telescope technology will\nsoon allow scientists to search for life beyond our Solar System through direct\nobservation of extrasolar planets. This endeavor will occur alongside searches\nfor habitable environments and signs of life within our Solar System. While the\nsearches are thematically related and will inform each other, they will require\nseparate observational techniques. The search for life on exoplanets holds\npotential through the great diversity of worlds to be explored beyond our Solar\nSystem. However, there are also unique challenges related to the relatively\nlimited data this search will obtain on any individual world. This white paper\nreviews the scientific community's ability to use data from future telescopes\nto search for life on exoplanets. This material summarizes products from the\nExoplanet Biosignatures Workshop Without Walls (EBWWW). The EBWWW was\nconstituted by a series of online and in person activities, with participation\nfrom the international exoplanet and astrobiology communities, to assess state\nof the science and future research needs for the remote detection of life on\nplanets outside our Solar System.
