New Evidence Suggests Possible Life on Distant Exoplanet

Scientists have uncovered intriguing yet tentative evidence suggesting that a distant exoplanet orbiting a star other than our Sun might host life.

Researchers from Cambridge have been investigating the atmosphere of a planet named K2-18b and have discovered indications of molecules that, on Earth, are produced solely by simple organisms.

This marks the second, and more promising, occasion when life-related chemicals have been identified in the planet’s atmosphere through observations made by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

However, both the Cambridge team and independent astronomers emphasize the necessity for additional data to validate these findings.

Prof. Nikku Madhusudhan, the lead researcher, shared his expectations for conclusive evidence from his lab at Cambridge University’s Institute of Astronomy.

“This is the most compelling evidence hinting at extraterrestrial life we’ve ever seen. I’m optimistic that we can verify this signal in one to two years.”

K2-18b is a planet two and a half times the size of Earth, situated 700 trillion miles, or 124 light years, away from us—an insurmountable distance for human travel within a lifetime.

The JWST is powerful enough to examine the planet’s atmospheric chemical composition by analyzing the light filtered through K2-18b as it orbits its small red Sun.

The Cambridge researchers propose that the atmosphere shows signs of at least one of two molecules linked to life: dimethyl sulphide (DMS) or dimethyl disulphide (DMDS). On Earth, these gases originate from marine phytoplankton and bacteria.

Prof. Madhusudhan expressed his amazement at the significant amount of gas detected in just one observation period.

“The atmospheric levels of this gas are estimated to be thousands of times greater than those found on Earth,” he remarked.

“If there’s indeed a life connection, then this planet could be thriving with life,” he added.