A biosignature is any substance, pattern or feature in the atmosphere, surface or spectrum of a planet, moon or other body that provides scientific evidence of past or present life. Commonly discussed examples include atmospheric gases that would not persist together without ongoing biological replenishment, such as oxygen alongside methane, as well as surface pigments, seasonal atmospheric changes, and certain isotopic ratios in rock. Detecting a candidate biosignature does not by itself prove life is present, since many such signals can in principle also be produced by non-biological processes, so identifying and ruling out false positives is a central challenge in the search for life beyond Earth.
Facts
Concept Domain Formulated Year Proposed ByNASA Exobiology Program office 1 Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationBiosignature, History sectionQuote, Biosignature, History section
In 1995, the term biosignature was first used by the NASA Exobiology Program office (now the NASA Astrobiology Program) in "An Exobiological Strategy for Mars Exploration."
Biosignature (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia, Biosignature, lead section
A biosignature is a phenomenon that can be explained by biological processes where all possible abiotic causes of this phenomenon have been eliminated. This term is mainly used in the field of astrobiology in the search for past or present extraterrestrial life.
In Group: Habitability and the Detection of Life, Lead sentence
A biosignature is a phenomenon that can be explained by biological processes where all possible abiotic causes of this phenomenon have been eliminated.
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