Distant planet twice the size of Earth may be emitting gas 'only produced by life'

Distant planet twice Earth’s size may be emitting gas that’s ‘only produced by life’

Scientists might have just stumbled upon evidence of life on a distant planet, K2-18b, which is twice the size of Earth and seems to be emitting gas typically “only produced by life”.

The celestial body, located 120 light-years away in the Leo constellation’s habitable zone, has shown signs of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in its atmosphere, a compound that experts claim is an indicator of biological activity.

This intriguing find was made last year, and now the James Webb Space Telescope is set to scrutinize the planet for hours today, although the findings won’t be known for some time.

Dr. Nikku Madhusudhan from the University of Cambridge is spearheading the research into this planet, first spotted in 2015.

He has described K2-18b as a “hycean” world, a term he created to define a rocky planet with a hydrogen-dense atmosphere and vast oceans. Speaking to The Times, he expressed his excitement: “If we do detect DMS it does put it basically at the top for potential signs of habitability.”

Previously, in 2019, water vapour was identified in the atmosphere of K2-18b, and more recently, in 2023, the James Webb Space Telescope found traces of carbon dioxide, methane, and a notable absence of ammonia.

Dr. Madhusudhan views these discoveries as significant, hinting at the possibility of oceanic water beneath a thick layer of hydrogen in the planet’s atmosphere.

The majority of DMS in our planet’s atmosphere originates from phytoplankton, leading scientists to propose that these microscopic organisms could also be present on K2-18b as they grapple for an alternative explanation.

Dr. Madhusudhan admitted: “It was a real shock, I had sleepless nights for a week. That week, I didn’t even muster the courage to break it to my own team.”

NASA’s whopping £7.4 billion ($10 billion) James Webb Space Telescope will scrutinise the alien planet’s chemical components by capturing light from its home star in the Leo constellation as it journeys towards our blue planet.

Although the consensus is that K2-18bs surface is likely water-drenched, some experts have made the assertion that it might be too hot for water to exist in its liquid state, challenging whether it is indeed liveable.

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