In 1960, while preparing for the first meeting on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), legendary astronomer and SETI pioneer Dr.
, the number of planets in our galaxy capable of supporting life – aka."habitable." At the time, astronomers were not yet certain other stars had systems of planets.
As Madau explained to Universe Today, the central role of time and age are not explicitly stressed in the Drake Equation: About 500 million years after that, photosynthesis emerged in the form of single-celled organisms that metabolized carbon dioxide and produced oxygen gas as a byproduct.about 2.4 billion years ago and the eventual rise of complex life forms.
This framework allows astronomers to determine which potential target stars may be optimal candidates in the search for atmospheric biosignatures. Ultimately, Madau's analysis showed that within 100 parsecs of the Sun, there may be as many as 10,000 rocky planets orbiting with their star's HZs. Using the generally accepted timeline of the emergence of life on Earth and applying a conservative estimate of the prevalence of life on other planets – theparameter of the Drake Equation – Madau's framework also indicated how far away the closest exoplanet harboring life could be:
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