Hmm .. Thanks again, Steven … interesting ..
I was just snooping around looking for info on DRIFT and I found this one ..
Its a bit of an old article, (ScienceDaily: Dec. 9, 2008), but it is relevant to space bound CO2 detection of an exoplanet..
Hubble Telescope Finds Carbon Dioxide On An Extrasolar Planet
Quote:
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Mark Swain, a research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., used Hubble's near-infrared camera and multi-object spectrometer to study infrared light emitted from the planet, which lies 63 light-years away. Gases in the planet's atmosphere absorb certain wavelengths of light from the planet's hot glowing interior. Swain identified carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The molecules leave a unique spectral fingerprint on the radiation from the planet that reaches Earth. This is the first time a near-infrared emission spectrum has been obtained for an exoplanet.
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I guess in this case, we've got a hot glowing exoplanet radiating EM/light.
In the case of a comet, I presume it could only reflect light.
Still, I would've thought the absorption spectrum would be evident.
Clearly, the distance to the object vs resolution of the image isn't the problem (63 light-years) !
I'm still stumped !
Cheers