In the search for extraterrestrial life, purple may be the new green. On Earth, green means life, thanks to chlorophyll-powered photosynthesis. But on exoplanets, Cornell researchers have found that purple can be an important color to look for. Some bacteria on Earth already use infrared light for photosynthesis and contain purple pigments instead. This discovery means that potential alien worlds with dominant purple bacteria could emit a unique 'light fingerprint' that can be detected by advanced telescopes.

Lisa Kaltenegger, director of the Carl Sagan Institute (CSI) and associate professor of astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Lígia Fonseca Coelho, a postdoctoral associate at CSI, discuss this research.

Read more here: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2024/04/search-alien-life-purple-may-be-new-green

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