Hunting for aliens. Astronomers have found a strange gas in space that can help find extraterrestrial life

They found that methylhalogenides – gases that produce bacteria, sea algae and fungi on Earth, may also be present in the atmosphere exoplanet. These compounds have strong infrared properties, which makes them easily visible with modern telescopes.

Traditionally, scientists seek oxygen or methane as biomarkers of life, but their identification on planets of the Earth type requires considerable resources and time. The new strategy is focused on Hikean type planets that have dense, hydrogen atmosphere and deep oceans. These conditions can contribute to the accumulation of methylhalogenides in higher concentrations, making them more accessible to detection.

James Webba telescope is able to record the presence of these gases in only 13 hours of observations, which significantly reduces the time and financial costs of search. In addition, the analysis of such worlds gives clear signals than the study of planets of the Earth type, whose atmospheres create more noise and difficulties for biosign detection.

The study suggests that the detection of methylhalogenides on several exoplanets may indicate the widespread spread of microbial life in the universe. Such germs are most likely anaerobic organisms that can exist in extreme conditions. Scientists plan to expand their research, including modeling exoplanets and the study of extreme places on Earth, such as Solton, for a more accurate understanding of possible life forms outside our planet.

Although humanity is not yet able to directly explore the atmosphere of exoplanets, the development of telescopic technologies allows you to approach the unraveling of one of the most fierce issues of modern science – whether life exists outside the Earth.

The discovery is posted in The Astrophysical Journal Letter and can be an important step in finding alien life forms.