NASA’s James Webb Telescope discovers life supporting gases on a planet in space

Peering through a cosmic window and discovering a distant world that could support life and its processes well that could be a distant future, right? Well, NASA has made this discovery using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have found an exoplanet far bigger than Earth, with gases in its atmosphere that are usually associated with life.

K2-18 b, also called as EPIC 201912552 b and is considered an exoplanet that revolves around a red dwarf star called K2-18. It is located in a part of space called 'habitable zone', a region where the probable conditions are favorable for the presence of liquid water-with it, creating an environment for other possible extraterrestrial life forms. At a distance of about 124 light years from Earth, K2-18 B increases the chance of finding life out there because it has about 2.6 times the radius and 8.6 times the mass of our planet.

NASA's Kepler Space Telescope first discovered the planet in 2009. Later, a more detailed analysis of its atmosphere was just recently achieved by the James Webb Space Telescope during its mission. Researchers saw in the previous year that the atmosphere of K2-18 b contains carbon-bearing molecules, such as methane and carbon dioxide, which suggests that it may be a 'Hycean exoplanet'-meaning it is probably covered in ocean and has a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.

Moreover, initial Webb observations indicated the potential presence of dimethyl sulfide (DMS), a molecule that is primarily produced by biological processes on Earth. The bulk of DMS in our atmosphere is emitted by phytoplankton in marine environments. This discovery has propelled excitement among scientists, as it may hint at the presence of life on K2-18 b.

NASA has explained that the abundance of methane and carbon dioxide, along with the shortage of ammonia, supports the theory of a water ocean under K2-18 b's hydrogen-rich atmosphere. The planet's large size also suggests that it might not be hospitable to life as we know it. The interior likely contains a large mantle of high-pressure ice, or the ocean could be too hot to support life.

The research team, led by University of Cambridge astronomer Nikku Madhusudhan, states the importance of considering diverse habitable environments in the search for extraterrestrial life. Traditionally, the search has focused on smaller rocky planets, but larger Hycean worlds like K2-18 b offer crucial opportunities for atmospheric observations.

The Webb telescope dedicated eight hours in a single day to further investigate K2-18 b, with the motto to confirm the presence of DMS in its atmosphere. Madhusudhan stated, "Our ultimate goal is the identification of life on a habitable exoplanet, which would transform our understanding of our place in the universe."