Figure 27-13: The Infrared Spectrum of a Simulated Planet The image on the left is a simulation of what a space-based infrared telescope might see once one is launched. The white dot at the center is a nearby Sunlike star, and the smaller dots around it are planets orbiting the star. On the right is the simulated infrared spectrum of one of the planets, showing broad absorption lines of water vapor (H2O), ozone (O3), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Measuring the abundances of these gases can tell us about the planet’s conditions and if it might be harboring oxygen-producing life.
(Jet Propulsion Laboratory/NASA)