2023-09-11 23:28:10
NASA’s James Webb Telescope has detected carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18 b, a potentially habitable world eight times the size of Earth. This groundbreaking discovery has led astronomers to consider the possibility that K2-18 b belongs to a unique class of exoplanets known as “Hycean” planets, which have hydrogen-rich atmospheres and potentially water-covered surfaces, making it a potential candidate for Earth. life. The initial ideas were made possible thanks to observations made by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. K2-18 b orbits a cool dwarf star called K2-18, regarding 120 light-years from Earth, within the constellation Leo – and lies within the habitable zone. These exoplanets, which range in size from Earth to Neptune, are not found in our solar system, making their properties the subject of active debate among scientists. The idea that K2-18 b might be an exoplanet is particularly fascinating to scientists, as some experts believe such planets may provide favorable conditions for the development of life. “Our findings underscore the importance of considering diverse habitable environments in the search for life elsewhere,” said Nico Madhusudan, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge and lead author of the study. “Traditionally, the search for life on exoplanets has focused primarily on smaller, rocky planets, but larger Hessian worlds are more suitable for atmospheric observations.” The abundance of methane and carbon dioxide, along with the absence of ammonia, suggests that K2-18 b features a hydrogen-rich atmosphere over a potentially watery ocean, the scientists said. The telescope’s initial observations also hinted at the presence of dimethyl sulfide (DMS), a molecule primarily associated with microbial life such as marine phytoplankton on Earth, indicating the possibility of biological activity on K2-18 b, the astronomers said. But Madhusudan noted, “More observations are needed to determine whether the destination management system is what we are actually seeing.” Read more on Sky News: NASA is able to produce oxygen on Mars Observing a rare cosmic explosion in the red galaxy Analyzing the atmospheres of exoplanets is a challenge due to the intense glare of their parent stars, which obscures smaller celestial bodies. To overcome this obstacle, the team examined the light passing through K2-18 b’s atmosphere as it transits its host star. The research will soon be published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, and the team intends to conduct further research. “Our ultimate goal is to identify life on a habitable exoplanet, which will change our understanding of our place in the universe,” Mr. Madhusudan concluded. “Our findings are a promising step toward a deeper understanding of the Hessian worlds in this endeavor.”
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