April 7, 2008 | 10 comments

The Color of Plants on Other Worlds

On other worlds, plants could be red, blue, even black

By Nancy Y. Kiang

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VARIOUS TYPES OF F-STAR FOLIAGE The Color of Plants on Other Worlds :: On other worlds, plants could be red, blue, even b

VARIOUS TYPES OF F-STAR FOLIAGEIf it isn't easy being green on Earth, where chlorophyll is well tuned to absorb most of the energy in our sun's yellow light, imagine the difficulties elsewhere in the galaxy. Plants growing on worlds around cooler, brighter or more tempestuous stars would need to rely on red, blue or even black pigments to survive. That insight offers astronomers new clues about what to look for in their search for extraterrestrial life.

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