What is the next technological focus for definitively assessing Proxima b’s habitability?
Answer
Atmospheric characterization
The immediate frontier in confirming the habitability of Proxima b lies in performing next-generation telescope observations aimed at atmospheric characterization. This process involves analyzing the light passing through or reflected by the planet's atmosphere to search for biosignatures—gases like water vapor, oxygen, or methane that could imply biological activity. Distinguishing these faint signals from geological outgassing, especially under the influence of stellar flares, requires extreme observational precision that future observatories are being designed to achieve.
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