Astronomers Using Laughing Gas To Hunt Alien Life Might Actually Work

Learning new details about the universe is in itself very fascinating. But things get even more interesting if we throw the possibility of alien life into the mix. Well, there might be some good news for space enthusiasts, as astronomers believe they could find nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, on other planets out there.

According to a new paper by scientists at the University of California Riverside, the concept that space is filled with laughing gas that most college students use as a cheap party trick could help them determine if a planet is habitable or not. The paper has been published in the journal Astrophysics.

Laughing Gas Means Life?

"Fewer researchers have seriously considered nitrous oxide," said Eddie Schwieterman, UCR astrobiologist, "but we think that may be a mistake."

Schwieterman and his colleagues at UC Riverside's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences synced a planetary model with data they calculated on how frequently living organisms produce nitrous oxide.

The study then suggested that habitable exoplanets with atmospheres rich in nitrous oxide could be observed closely using advanced tech such as the James Webb Space Telescope.

However, there are a few non-biological scenarios where nitrous oxide can be produced. For one, lightning strikes generate a small amount of the compound. But the researchers have noted that small levels of nitrous oxide produced by lightning strikes can be used to rule out planets from contention.

Is Nitrous Oxide A Biosignature?

The press release notes that others who used laughing gas as a biosignature argued that the compound doesn’t exist on our planet in high quantities despite being a host of billions of life forms. But the astrobiologist has an answer.

"This conclusion doesn't account for periods in Earth's history where ocean conditions would have allowed for much greater biological release of [nitrous oxide]," Schweiterman said. "Conditions in those periods might mirror where an exoplanet is today."

With James Webb Space Telescope proving its ability to collect detailed data, the UCR team hopes nitrous oxide will be considered a biosignature by other scientists and could broaden their horizon in search of extraterrestrial life.

Scanning Data From Radio Telescopes

Other efforts have also been made to look for life beyond Earth. Recently, two researchers who have been closely working on finding extraterrestrial life with Breakthrough Listen Initiative shared exciting information about their mission. They announced a new technique that will allow them to extract old data that was collected using radio telescopes.

The research might potentially open the doors for SETI scientists to have a better look at the universe. Scientists hope that this method will increase our chances to spot "powerful transmitters" in galaxies far away from Milky Way.