A NASA telescope has picked up on molecules in space that only living things can produce, showing possible signs of life on another planet.
NASA’s James Webb telescope has detected clues that life on a different planet might not be as far-fetched an idea as some may think.
Its famous piece of tech was launched in December 2021, and was designed to conduct infrared astronomy.
Now, researchers have found possible signs of life beyond Earth.
The planet has been named ‘K2-18 b’, and was first discovered in 2015, but more details have followed after the creation of the James Webb.
It’s around 120 light years away from us, and researchers have identified both methane and carbon dioxide in the planet’s atmosphere, which could suggest it’s a ‘Hycean’ planet.
This is a planet covered in an ocean which has a super hydrogen-rich atmosphere.
Crucially, however, scientists also discovered the presence of a molecule called dimethyl sulphide (DMS) in the atmosphere, which only living organisms can produce – on Earth, that is.
It has been said that the planet could be any size between Earth and Neptune, which are among the smaller planets in our solar system.
Subhajit Sarkar of Cardiff University, who is writing a paper on the discovery, said: “Although this kind of planet does not exist in our solar system, sub-Neptunes are the most common type of planet known so far in the galaxy.
“We have obtained the most detailed spectrum of a habitable-zone sub-Neptune to date, and this allowed us to work out the molecules that exist in its atmosphere.”
It’s by no means concrete evidence of life on another planet, as the research is in its infancy.
Nikku Madhusudhan, a professor at the University of Cambridge, told the BBC: “If confirmed, it would be a huge deal and I feel a responsibility to get this right if we are making such a big claim.
“Our ultimate goal is the identification of life on a habitable exoplanet, which would transform our understanding of our place in the universe.
“Our findings are a promising step towards a deeper understanding of Hycean worlds in this quest.”
We don’t know whether it’s exciting or terrifying, or perhaps a bit of both!
Meanwhile, another professor, from the University of Oxford, is even more hopeful about signs of life in space.
Rebecca Smethurst told The Spectator: “I think we are going to get a paper that has strong evidence for a biosignature on an exoplanet very, very soon.”