Abstract
We provide an overview of the prospects for biosignature detection and
general characterization of temperate Earth-sized planets. We review planned
space-based missions and ground-based projects as well as the basic methods
they will employ, and summarize which exoplanet properties will become
observable as these new facilities come on line. The observational strategies
depend on whether the planets are transiting or not as well as on the spectral
type of the host star. There is a reasonable expectation that the first
constraints on spectroscopic features of atmospheres will be obtained before
2030. Successful initial characterization of a few nearby targets will be an
important touchstone toward a more detailed scrutiny and/or a larger survey to
address statistical questions such as the occurrence rate of habitable
environments. The broad outlook which this paper presents may help develop a
framework to evaluate the possibility of biospheres based on the observables,
and consider new methodologies to characterize exoplanets of astrobiological
interest.
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