Life Beyond Earth
Many researchers and astronomers wonder what could be beyond Earth aliens another species? This question has fascinated many researchers because they detected DMS and other molecules is evidence that life is on the planet.
In recent years, discoveries have brought researchers a step closer to discovering the mysteries beyond our solar system. Researchers revealed possible signs of life in various areas of the universe. One planet, K2-18b, is located 124 light years away from the Leo constellation. K2-18b is 2.6 times larger than Earth and orbits around a star known as a red dwarf. What makes K2-18b more interesting than any other planet? K2-18b orbits around a habitable area, which means it is in an area where primary elements like water and oxygen thrive, which is a crucial ingredient to make life. Making it more likely for living organisms, researchers find it a priority over other planets because it is suspected to have living organisms NASA detects molecules in the atmosphere of the planet showing signs of organisms similar to Earth‘s organisms. Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, researchers found many elements such as hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, methane and possibly water vapor which are linked to life on Earth.
The Discovery is a team led by Professor Nikku Madhusudhan, a well-known professor who works at the University of Cambridge. In his job as an astrophysicist, he studies planets’ atmospheres, biosignatures, molecules, and any presence of life. The team collects data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope used to study the atmosphere of exoplanets. The data they collected showed carbon-bearing molecules, carbon dioxide, methane, sulfide, and dimethyl disulfide. and was released in 2021 which ended up being the most powerful tool for studying space.
Researchers discovered many important elements that contribute to life. Evidence suggests that the atmosphere has a with carbon, methane, and sulfide and a shortage of ammonia supports the idea of water under its surface, which is made by living things on Earth. These elements are signs of living things on K2-18b. While researchers found this out, there are strong clues that show signs of living organisms on K2-18b however these molecules can also be produced by abiotic properties and more data is needed to confirm whether the planet has any living organisms.
The and was announced in September 2023 after researchers studied the data that was collected by the James Webb Space Telescope. After months of studying the images scientists were able to share what they found over the course of 2 years.
