Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Wavelength Requirements for Life Detection via Reflected Light Spectroscopy of Rocky Exoplanets

Searching for signs of life is a primary goal of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). However, merely detecting oxygen, methane, or other widely discussed biosignatures is insufficient evidence for a biosphere. In parallel with biosignature detection, exoplanet life detection...

Europe’s extreme temperatures and rainfall in finer detail: strengths and limits of climate model downscaling

<title>Abstract</title> Climate extremes in Europe are becoming increasingly frequent and severe, heightening the need for reliable regional climate information to support preparedness and adaptation. Downscaled climate model (DCM) products are widely used for this purpose. Yet,...

Emergence of biosignatures on Earth and implications for life detection

Earth’s organic chemical evolution (OCE) from abiotic to prebiotic to biotic provides critical insights that may have implications for how we interpret observations made by life-detection planetary missions. To search for life on other worlds, astrobiologists seek biosignatures:...