Color Aids Search for Alien Life
NASA researchers are analyzing the light reflected by Earth–and other planets–to try to figure out which ones have conditions that might harbor life. The Earth shines with a blue light and stands out clearly among the other planets, "like a blue jay in a flock of seagulls." In PhysOrg.com, Daniel Pendick quotes researcher Carolyn Crow as saying, "The method we developed separates the planets out. It makes Earth look unique." Pendick quotes NASA astronomer Lucy McFadden as saying, "Eventually, as telescopes get bigger, there will be the light-gathering power to look at the colors of planets around other stars.read more