Cambridge Team Uncovers Possible Signs of Life on Distant Planet K2-18b
(MENAFN) NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has uncovered potential signs of life on a distant planet located trillions of miles from Earth, as reported by a research team from Cambridge University on Wednesday.
Professor Nikku Madhusudhan, affiliated with Cambridge University's Institute of Astronomy, revealed that his team has identified molecules in the atmosphere of the planet K2-18b that are typically produced by simple life forms on Earth.
While the findings are encouraging, Madhusudhan emphasized the necessity for further data to validate these results, which have been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
"This is the strongest evidence yet there is possibly life out there," Madhusudhan stated in an interview. "I can realistically say that we can confirm this signal within one to two years," he added.
Researchers noted that K2-18b is approximately two and a half times larger than Earth and is situated 700 trillion miles away. Despite this vast distance, they explained that the advanced capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope allow it to analyze the planet's atmospheric chemical composition by examining the light that filters through from its small red Sun.
"The amount we estimate of this gas in the atmosphere is thousands of times higher than what we have on Earth," stated Madhusudhan. "So if the association with life is real, then this planet will be teeming with life," he further noted.
The team from Cambridge University has discovered that the atmosphere of K2-18b seems to exhibit the chemical signature of at least one of two molecules linked to life on Earth, which are generated by marine phytoplankton and bacteria.
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