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A test for the detection of vegetation on extrasolar planets: detection of vegetation in Earthshine spectrum and its diurnal variation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2006

Danielle Briot ,
Karim Agabi ,
Eric Aristidi ,
Luc Arnold ,
Patrick François ,
Pierre Riaud ,
Patrick Rocher  and
Jean Schneider
Danielle Briot
Affiliation:
Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, 61 avenue de l'Observatoire, F-75014 Paris, France email: Danielle.Briot@obspm.fr
Karim Agabi
Affiliation:
Université de Nice – Sophia Antipolis, 28 avenue Valrose, F-06108 Nice cedex 2, France
Eric Aristidi
Affiliation:
Université de Nice – Sophia Antipolis, 28 avenue Valrose, F-06108 Nice cedex 2, France
Luc Arnold
Affiliation:
European Southern Observatory (ESO), 3107 Av. de Cordova, Vitacura, Santiago 19, Chile
Patrick François
Affiliation:
Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, 61 avenue de l'Observatoire, F-75014 Paris, France email: Danielle.Briot@obspm.fr Observatoire de Haute-Provence-CNRS, F-04870 Saint Michel l'Observatoire, France
Pierre Riaud
Affiliation:
Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, 5 place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
Patrick Rocher
Affiliation:
Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, 61 avenue de l'Observatoire, F-75014 Paris, France email: Danielle.Briot@obspm.fr
Jean Schneider
Affiliation:
Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, 5 place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
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Abstract

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The search for life in extraterrestrial planets is to be tested first with the only planet known to shelter life. If the planet Earth is used as an example to search for a signature of life, the vegetation is one of its possible detectable signature, using the Vegetation Red Edge due to chlorophyll in the near infrared (0.725 μm). We focus on the test of the detectability of vegetation in the spectrum of Earth seen as a simple dot, using the reflection of the global Earth on the lunar surface, i.e., Earthshine. On the Antartic, the Earthshine can be seen during several hours in a day (not possible at our latitudes) and so variations due to different parts of Earth, that is to say oceans and continents facing the Moon could be detected.

Keywords

EarthMoonastrobiologytechniques: spectroscopyvegetation red edgebiomarkerEarthshineexolife
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 2 , Highlights of Astronomy 14: Highlights of Astronomy , August 2006 , pp. 711 - 712
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2007

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