“If 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. ” Nancy Y. Kiang

Read the full article here.  A slide show of additional artworks created for this awesome article here.

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This week’s illustration(s) are published in the print and online editions of the April 2008 edition of Scientific American Magazine.

Kenn n Chris – Mondolithic Studios