Habitable Worlds Observatory Living Worlds Working Group: Surface Biosignatures on Potentially Habitable Exoplanets
By: Niki Parenteau, Anna Grace Ulses, Connor Metz, Nancy Y. Kiang, Ligia F. Coelho, Edward Schwieterman, Jonathan Grone, Giulia Roccetti, Svetlana Berdyugina, Eleonora Alei, Lucas Patty, Emilie Lafleche, Taro Matsuo, Dawn Cardace, Schuyler Borges, Avi Mandel, Kenneth Gordon, Joshua Krissansen-Totton, Giada Arney
Published: 2026-01-12
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Abstract
This paper investigates the measurement requirements and instrument needs to detect surface biosignatures on potentially habitable exoplanets, considering Earth's atmospheric compositions through time. It emphasizes that surface biopigments are crucial for corroborating atmospheric biosignatures and detecting primitive forms of anoxygenic photosynthesis, which is key for future space missions like HWO.