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Researchers at Cornell University in New York believe that millions of years of evolution on Earth can help find life on extraterrestrial worlds.
By examining more than 500 million years of plant life on Earth, we will be able to better understand remote living exoplanets.
The emergence of flora on Earth has been a crucial part of the processes that have transformed the rocky planet into a place conducive to life.
The same processes on exoplanets could also be responsible for hosting and maintaining extraterrestrial life.
The "red edge of vegetation" is the key: a process by which a green planet reflects large amounts of infrared light.
Lisa Kaltenegger, an astronomer who co-authored a study on the subject, said the history of the Earth's vegetation was the best example.
The expert said, "By examining how life has changed Earth's biosignatures over time, it helps us determine which planets are most likely to show the most powerful signs of life, ultimately giving us the best chance of successfully locating life, if present. "
Geological data dating back more than 500 million years show a dramatic change in the Earth's surface conditions as the first forests emerged.
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Over time, large ice fields gave way to thick forests covering the earth, allowing more reflection of infrared light.
The earliest records of Earth's history show mossy rocks and plants that populate the planet.
Compared to trees, it is more difficult for astronomers to detect signs of such vegetation.
But finding solid evidence of a tree-like life on living exoplanets could be a good indicator of the age of the planet.
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Ms. Kaltenegger said, "We are using the history of the Earth as a key to finding life in the universe.
"Our work shows that as plants evolved on Earth, the signal of vegetation revealing their presence became stronger, making older exoplanets really interesting places to look for vegetation."
the space Living space exoplanets added by experts can range from hot barren desert to lush jungle planets covered with tropical rainforests.
She said that the worlds are the best suited for detecting the signs of extraterrestrial vegetation.
Co-author of the study, Jack O'Malley-James, Cornell, said it was difficult to spot these worlds in other solar systems, but that technology was catching up slowly.
He said: "Observing an exoplanet is more difficult, but telescope technology is detecting tiny signals better and better.
"By integrating the changing landscapes of the Earth into our models, it will be easier to detect vegetation in the future on other worlds."
In December 1990, NASA's Galileo spacecraft related to Jupiter observed the Earth's reflection on the Earth beyond human vision.
The spacecraft has detected a clear difference between the amount of red and infrared light reflected by the vegetation.
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