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Potsdam, Germany (UPI) Jul 26, 2010 The hunt for Earth-like planets in the universe, which usually looks for where water might exist, should consider photosynthesis instead, German scientists say. Researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research argue while primitive life can exist without photosynthesis, it would be necessary for more complex multicellular organisms to emerge, Astrobiology Magazine reported. "Photosynthesis-sustaining habitable zones" around stars, the researchers say, would be where the average surface temperature of a world in the zone stays between the freezing and boiling points of water, 32 degrees to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. The search should also be for planets where there are sufficient levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which photosynthetic life would consume to make oxygen and create organic matter, the scientists say. Institute physicist Werner von Bloh estimates our Milky Way galaxy might host up to 2.5 million worlds suitable for complex multicellular photosynthetic life. "Finding signs of life on other planets might be the most challenging goal in astrobiology," von Bloh said.
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Odds For Life Better In Photosynthesis ZonesMoffett Field CA (SPX) Jul 26, 2010 By calculating where photosynthesis might be possible around the galaxy, scientists are developing a new way to figure out where Earth-like planets with life might be located. When seeking to figure out where life might evolve, researchers have often focused on the "habitable zones" around stars, where the heat from the star is at the perfect level for liquid water to exist on the surface ... read more |
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