NASA made a big announcement in September when it revealed that the James Webb Space Telescope had spotted potential signs of life on an exoplanet called K2-18b in the form of “dimethyl sulfide” (DMS), a gas produced exclusively by life forms on Earth.
Now, the telescope has turned its full attention to this distant ocean-covered world. On Friday, it spent eight hours observing the planet again to delve deeper into the tantalizing findings, as it reports The Timesa step thrilling in our efforts to explore what has been described as one of the most promising places to look for extraterrestrial life.
The implications of the discovery of DMS on the exoplanet they are considerable. This gasaccording to NASA, is produced “only by life” here on the Earthwith the majority attributed to “phytoplankton in marine environments.”
But if this also applies to K2-18b is far from certain — the That it’s especially frustrating because the exoplanet is located at well 124 light years away, making it virtually impossible to visit and investigate in person.
However, the excitement lies growing up constantly. JWST spectrometer readings they have found that methane and carbon dioxide are abundant, which led scientists to conclude that the planet “sub-Neptune” is probably covered by a huge ocean hundreds of miles deep and with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.
“This it immediately indicated the presence of an ocean,” Cambridge astrophysicist Nikku Madhusudhan, head of the ongoing research, told the Times. “
This is the first time we have detected methane on a small planet. He solved a mystery of more than a decade, literally called ‘the missing methane problem.’”
Next steps on K2-18b
Meanwhile, confirming the presence of DMS could “revolutionize scientific history,” he argued Madhusudhan. But before be able to do, he and his colleagues have a lot of work to do. The team plans to spend the next ten months analyzing the results of the latest observations of the James Webb. The first results could be revealed as early as four to six months, according to the report.
“If we detect the DMS [su K2-18b]that would put it pretty much at the top of potential signs of habitability,” Madhusudhan told the newspaper.
What do you think? Do you think James Webb will be able to find definitive evidence of life on K2-18b? Let us know in the comments!
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