Life Possibly Found on Faraway World
In an exciting discovery, scientists have detected tentative evidence that a distant planet orbiting another star may be home to life.
A team of researchers from Cambridge studying the atmosphere of a planet known as K2-18b has identified signs of molecules that are typically produced by simple organisms on Earth.
This marks the second time that chemicals associated with life have been detected in the planet’s atmosphere by Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), providing more promising results.
While the findings are groundbreaking, both the team and independent astronomers emphasize the need for additional data to confirm these results.
Lead researcher Prof Nikku Madhusudhan expressed his optimism at his lab at Cambridge University’s Institute of Astronomy, stating his hopes to obtain conclusive evidence soon.
“This is the strongest evidence yet that there may be life out there. I can confidently say that we may confirm this signal within the next one to two years,” Prof Madhusudhan said.
K2-18b, a planet two and a half times the size of Earth, is located seven hundred trillion miles away from our planet.
JWST’s powerful capabilities allow it to analyze the chemical composition of the planet’s atmosphere by studying the light that passes through from the small red Sun it orbits.
The Cambridge team’s research suggests that the atmosphere of K2-18b contains the chemical signature of at least one of two molecules associated with life: dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), typically produced by marine phytoplankton and bacteria on Earth.
Prof Madhusudhan expressed surprise at the amount of gas detected during a single observation window, stating, “The estimated amount of this gas in the atmosphere is thousands of times higher than what we have on Earth.”
He added, “If the association with life is genuine, then this planet could be teeming with life.”
Prof Madhusudhan further speculated, “If we confirm the presence of life on K2-18b, it could potentially validate the commonality of life in the galaxy.”
However, despite these exciting findings, the team acknowledges the need for further verification and caution in their conclusions.
While the latest detection is significant, it does not meet the standard required to claim a definitive discovery, as researchers typically seek a five sigma result to ensure accuracy.
Prof Catherine Heymans of Edinburgh University cautioned that even with a five sigma result, uncertainties remain regarding the origin of the detected gases on an alien world.
The team is collaborating with other research groups to explore non-biological explanations for the presence of DMS and DMDS on K2-18b.
Various interpretations and debates surrounding K2-18b’s composition and structure underscore the complex nature of studying distant planets and the challenges of identifying signs of life in the universe.
Despite the hurdles ahead, Prof Madhusudhan remains optimistic about the potential implications of their research, stating, “This could be the tipping point, where suddenly the fundamental question of whether we’re alone in the universe is one we’re capable of answering.”
The research findings have been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, marking a significant milestone in the search for extraterrestrial life. — BBC
