The LUCAS program: detecting vegetation and traces of life in the Earthshine

Danielle Briot (1) , Luc Arnold (2) , Stéphane Jacquemoud (3) , Jean Schneider (4) , Karim Agabi (5) , Eric Aristidi (6) , Jérôme Berthier (7) , Erick Bondoux (5) , Zalpha Challita (5) , Denis Petermann , Cyprien Pouzenc , Patrick Rocher (8)

1 GEPI - Galaxies, Etoiles, Physique, Instrumentation
2 OHP - Observatoire de Haute-Provence
3 IPGP - Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
4 OBSPM - Observatoire de Paris - Site de Meudon
5 FIZEAU - Laboratoire Hippolyte Fizeau
6 LAGRANGE - Joseph Louis LAGRANGE
7 IMCCE - Institut de Mécanique Céleste et de Calcul des Ephémérides
8 Bureau des Longitudes

The aim of the LUCAS program is to observe chlorophyll and atmospheric molecules in the Earthshine spectrum in order to prepare the detection of life in terrestrial extrasolar planets to be discovered. Actually, observations from Antarctica offer a unique possibility to study the variations of Earthshine spectrum during Earth rotation while various parts of Earth are facing the Moon. Special instrumentation for the LUCAS program was designed and put in the Concordia station in the Dome C. Observations are in progress.

Mots clés: Astrobiology; Earth; Moon

Domaines: Astrophysique [astro-ph]

Danielle Briot, Luc Arnold, Stéphane Jacquemoud, Jean Schneider, Karim Agabi, et al.. The LUCAS program: detecting vegetation and traces of life in the Earthshine. IAU XXVIIth General Assembly, 2009, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. pp.625-626, ⟨10.1017/S174392131001080X⟩. ⟨hal-02482217⟩