You are correct and the detection of oxygen is not that surprising. Oxygen is a natural by-product of the carbon cycle (sometimes called the CNO cycle) of the proton-proton nuclear reaction of early-type stars.
Now if they detect molecular O2, then my ears would perk up very rapidly!
Oxygen in an atmosphere and earthlike do not nescessarily have any realtionship at all.
Earthlike, No! Far from it! But is there another process other than photosynthesis that would explain free oxygen in significant quantities in a planetary atmosphere?
8 posted on 02/02/2004 6:40:26 PM PST by night reader