Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Scientists anticipate a streamlined search for extraterrestrial life with the James Webb Telescope, which can now detect alien-modified planets through artificial greenhouse gases.
The University of California, Riverside, study identifies specific fluorinated gases as key indicators of terraformed planets, artificially altered to support life.
These include fluorinated versions of methane, ethane, and propane, along with nitrogen-fluorine or sulfur-fluorine mixtures, detectable in exoplanetary atmospheres using current technology.
Discovery of such gases enhances the potential for the James Webb Space Telescope to someday spot evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations.
In significant quantities, these gases act as potent pollutants on Earth, with warming potentials far exceeding carbon dioxide, capable of transforming frozen planets into habitable ones.
Researchers speculate on possible reasons for alien use of these gases, suggesting applications in preventing ice ages or terraforming barren planets, akin to human proposals for Mars.
Due to their rarity in nature, the presence of these gases would suggest the intervention of intelligent civilizations capable of technological manipulation.
These gases can persist in Earth-like atmospheres for up to 50,000 years, emitting distinctive infrared signatures that the James Webb Telescope can detect.
While the likelihood of detecting these gases remains uncertain, upcoming missions could potentially uncover them during routine planetary observations, promising groundbreaking discoveries in the search for extraterrestrial life.