The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) could potentially detect biosignatures in the reflected light of Proxima Centauri B, the closest exoplanet to Earth, using the High Angular Resolution Monolithic Optical and Near-infrared Integral field spectrograph (HARMONI) to capture high-resolution spectra. While the exoplanet doesn't transit its star, the study suggests that by using masks to block the central brilliance of the star, it may be possible to capture the light of the exoplanet and discover biogenic molecules, offering a new method for searching for alien life.
Proxima Centauri B, the closest exoplanet to Earth, is a potential target in the search for alien life, but traditional methods for detecting biosignatures won't work due to it not being a transiting planet. A new study suggests using the reflection of starlight off the planet's atmosphere as an alternative method. However, the current configuration of the Extremely Large Telescope's High Angular Resolution Monolithic Optical and Near-infrared Integral field spectrograph (HARMONI) is not suitable for capturing enough high-resolution data to discover biogenic molecules. The study proposes modifying the mask configuration to optimize the design for studying Proxima Centauri B's atmosphere, which could be crucial if it does harbor life.
