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    A Carbon-lite Atmosphere could be a Sign of Water and Life on other Terrestrial Planets

    December 29, 2023, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    Four planets in space with one having a thinner atmosphere cloud than the rest
    Caption:In the search for extraterrestrial life, MIT scientists say a planet’s carbon-lite atmosphere, relative to its neighbors, could be a sure and detectable signal of habitability.
    Credits:Image: Christine Daniloff, MIT; iStock

    A low carbon abundance in planetary atmospheres could be a signature of habitability. Scientists at MIT, the University of Birmingham, and elsewhere say that astronomers’ best chance of finding liquid water, and even life on other planets, is to look for the absence, rather than the presence, of a chemical feature in their atmospheres.

    The researchers propose that if a terrestrial planet has substantially less CO2 in its atmosphere compared to other planets in the same system, it could be a sign of liquid water — and possibly life — on that planet’s surf...

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