Comment on Searching for signs of life on exoplanets is tough.
sbeak@sopuli.xyz 17 hours agoOxygen can make friends with other oxygen, no? O2. It isn’t only produced by biotic means…
Also, not every element comes out of a supernova. Elements that are heavier than iron and nickel are created when a neutron stars merge! Very cool. Not to mention all the manmade elements…
Skyrmir@lemmy.world 16 hours ago
o2 isn’t as stable as most molecules containing oxygen. Free o2 oxidizes damn near everything, so it doesn’t last in an atmosphere without a new source. Take a look at the solar system. Every planet has oxygen, none of it is o2 outside of earth.
sbeak@sopuli.xyz 5 hours ago
O2 could be produced by abiotic means, the source isn’t necessarily life. It could be, but it’s probably not. Looking for life isn’t as simple as finding oxygen, otherwise it would be way too easy, there’s a bunch of other biosignatures and signs of habitability to look for.