How Spectroscopy Can Detect Life in the Universe

March 9, 2010

Something a little different today… a video of a talk by professional astronomer Garik Israelian about how the science of spectroscopy might soon answer the question, “Is anyone out there?”  This sort of science is near and dear to us, because once upon a time we were involved in this sort of work… measuring and calculating how light of different wavelengths interacts with matter.  It’s a powerful and subtle technique, and Dr. Israelian makes a good case for how alien life might be detected this way.

The video is not too hard to follow. But it runs about 15 minutes. So if you’re busy, just dip into it a bit at a time. By the end, you’ll have a good idea about how studying how spectroscopy may reveal insights into the chemical composition of stars, planets, and perhaps, indirectly, extraterrestrial civilizations.

Thanks to subscriber Suzane for pointing out this and many other astro-related videos. You can see links to more videos here…

Posted in Science of Astronomy



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