The black box set to revolutionize the search for life beyond Earth
ATACAMA DESERT (Chile), Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — In Chile’s dry Atacama Desert, astronomers scan the clear night sky for the existence of life on other planets and study the so-called “dark energy,” a mysterious cosmic force which would be at the origin of the accelerated expansion of the universe.
The clear skies of Chile’s arid Atacama Desert are a favorite for those studying the composition of the universe, but now experts are looking to take the next step: detecting the existence of life on other planets with a new giant telescope.
The telescope, which is expected to enter service by the end of the decade, will compete with the extremely large telescope of the European Southern Observatory – located further north in the same desert – as well as the thirty-meter telescope (TMT) under construction in Hawaii.
“This new generation of giant telescopes is aimed precisely at detecting life on other planets and determining the origin of dark energy,” said Leopoldo Infante, director of the Las Campanas observatory.
“It’s a race of these three groups for who makes the first and who makes the first discovery.”
Infante said the new giant telescope would be able to detect organic molecules in the atmosphere of distant planets.
“It’s the wait,” he said. “And whoever detects life on another planet will win the Nobel Prize, I assure you.”
The other prize studies dark energy – distinct from the equally enigmatic dark matter – which is considered a property of space and which is at the origin of the accelerated expansion of the universe. It represents a large part of the universe, but mostly remains an unsolved mystery.
“There is an energy which causes the expansion of the universe, but also the acceleration of this expansion,” said Infante, adding that scientists knew that this energy had to exist, even if they did not understand it. the origin.
“So this telescope is designed to be able to study precisely what is called the dark energy of the universe, to be able to physically understand what that energy is and where that energy comes from.” — NNN-AGENCIES
