PLANET WITH GAS PRODUCED BY LIFE DISCOVERED BY NASA
In an amazing discovery, NASA has found a planet larger than Earth with gas that is "only produced by life." One particular discovery from last year is still incredibly impressive, despite the space agency's ongoing amazing discoveries in our solar system. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, which was launched from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, South America, on an Ariane 5 rocket, made the discovery. Even though the telescope has recently produced several amazing discoveries, a planet discovered in 2023 is undoubtedly among the most remarkable.
The planet
NASA claims that the exoplanet K2-18 b, also known as EPIC 201912552 b, orbits the red dwarf K2-18 in a "habitable zone." Approximately 2.6 times Earth's radius and 8.6 times its mass, it is situated 124 light years from Earth. Although NASA's Kepler space telescope made the initial discovery in 2009, the planet's atmosphere was examined in greater detail during the Webb Telescope's mission.
The findings
According to NASA, K2-18b was found to contain "carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide" last year. The planet may be a "Hycean exoplanet," defined as "one which has the potential to possess a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean-covered surface," according to earlier research that supported the discovery. "A possible detection of a molecule called dimethyl sulfide (DMS) was also provided by these initial Webb observations," NASA stated.
Signs of life?
NASA clarified: "The hypothesis that there may be a water ocean beneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere in K2-18 b is supported by the abundance of methane and carbon dioxide and the lack of ammonia."Additionally, a molecule known as dimethyl sulfide (DMS) may have been detected thanks to these early Webb observations. Only life on Earth can produce this. Phytoplankton in marine environments emit the majority of the DMS in the Earth's atmosphere.
NASA also points out that the planet's size might suggest that life forms cannot live there because its ocean may be "too hot to be habitable or liquid" or its "interior likely contains a large mantle of high-pressure ice."
What's next?
"Our findings underscore the importance of considering diverse habitable environments in the search for life elsewhere," stated Nikku Madhusudhan, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge. Smaller rocky planets have historically been the main target of exoplanet life searches, but larger Hycean worlds are much more amenable to atmospheric observations. To better explore the indications of possible life, the Webb telescope devoted all of its attention to K2-18b on Friday, April 26, and observed the planet for eight hours, according to The Times. Madhusudhan concluded: "If DMS is present in the atmosphere of K2-18 b at significant levels, it should be confirmed by upcoming Webb observations.
"Our ultimate goal is the identification of life on a habitable exoplanet, which would transform our understanding of our place in the universe. Our findings are a promising step towards a deeper understanding of Hycean worlds in this quest."
Exciting times ahead!