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SUMMARY:LCLU Coffee - Ligia F Coelho on &quot\;the changing colours of our
  planet as a tool for ilfe detection on icy moons and exoplanets&quot\; - 
 Ligia F Coelho (Cornell Astronomy)
DTSTART:20250515T100000Z
DTEND:20250515T110000Z
UID:TALK228373@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Paul B. Rimmer
DESCRIPTION:In Person\n\nWe cannot predict life. We can\, instead\, learn 
 from Earth’s biodiversity and their varied molecular catalogue of marker
 s of adaptability. Biopigments are widespread biomolecules that serve as p
 owerful surface biomarkers of adaptability to extreme conditions on our pl
 anet. These molecules have distinct and unique spectral signatures providi
 ng a promising avenue for detecting extraterrestrial life. However\, curre
 nt surface models for other planets overlook Earth’s broader biodiversit
 y. In the Solar System\, current models struggle to constrain non-icy myst
 erious spots on the surface of the Jovian icy moon Europa for lack of matc
 hing reference spectra. In parallel\, exoplanet surface models tend to ove
 remphasize chlorophyll-based landscapes\, often constrained by the assumpt
 ion that photosynthesis requires visible light. This introduces unnecessar
 y restrictions on atmospheric opacity and composition. In reality\, Earth'
 s biosphere hosts a vast array of biopigments capable of harnessing energy
  across the UV to IR spectrum\, driving diverse metabolisms\, volatile byp
 roducts\, and environmental adaptations—many of which serve as analogues
  for targets to be studied with future telescopes and space missions. By i
 ntegrating Earth’s biological and evolutionary diversity with astrophysi
 cal tools\, I will present life-detection frameworks based on a broad spec
 tral dataset. I will show how in situ reflectance data from Svalbard (Arct
 ic) and Atacama Desert can help us correlate biosignatures with specific e
 nvironments. These findings contribute to biologically informed planetary 
 models\, crucial for the next generation missions\, including Extremely La
 rge Telescopes (ELTs)\, the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) and Large I
 nterferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE)\, as well as NASA’s Europa Clipper\,
  ESA’s Juice and Enceladus L4. These exciting new instruments will probe
  several planetary surfaces for a new biosphere where orange\, yellow\, or
  purple may be the new green.\n
LOCATION:Battcock\, Room F17
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