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This Article is From Apr 27, 2024

Most Promising Indication Of Life On Another Planet Found, Courtesy James Webb

James Webb Space Telescope is poised for a crucial observation mission targeting K2-18b, a distant planet with potential for extraterrestrial life.

Most Promising Indication Of Life On Another Planet Found, Courtesy James Webb
Scientists are focusing on detecting dimethyl sulphide (DMS) in its atmosphere.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the most powerful telescope ever launched, is set to begin a crucial observation mission in the hunt for extraterrestrial life.

As reported by The Times, the telescope will focus on a distant planet orbiting a red dwarf star, K2-18b, located 124 light-years away.

K2-18b has captured the attention of scientists due to its potential to harbour life. It's believed to be an ocean-covered world with a size exceeding Earth's by about 2.6 times.

The key element scientists are looking for is dimethyl sulphide (DMS), a gas with a fascinating characteristic. According to NASA, on Earth, DMS is "only produced by life," primarily by marine phytoplankton.

The presence of DMS in K2-18b's atmosphere would be a significant discovery, although Dr Nikku Madhusudhan, the study's lead astrophysicist from Cambridge, cautions against jumping to conclusions. While preliminary data from JWST suggests a high probability (over 50%) of DMS presence, further analysis is needed. The telescope will dedicate eight hours of observation this Friday, followed by months of data processing before a definitive answer can be reached.

The lack of a known natural, geological, or chemical process for generating DMS in the absence of life adds weight to the excitement. However, even if confirmed, the sheer distance of K2-18b presents a technological hurdle. Travelling at the speed of the Voyager spacecraft (38,000 mph), it would take a probe a staggering 2.2 million years to reach the planet.

Despite the immense distance, the JWST's ability to analyse the chemical composition of a planet's atmosphere through spectral analysis of starlight filtering through its clouds offers a new window into the potential for life beyond Earth. This mission holds the potential to answer the age-old question of whether we are truly alone in the universe.

The upcoming observations also aim to clarify the existence of methane and carbon dioxide in K2-18b's atmosphere, potentially resolving the "missing methane problem" that has puzzled scientists for over a decade. While theoretical work on non-biological sources for gas continues, definitive conclusions are expected within the next four to six months.

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