Scientists have detected molecules in the atmosphere of a distant exoplanet that, on Earth, are strongly linked to biological activity. The planet—K2-18b, located 124 light-years away in the constellation Leo—is classified as a "Hycean" world, potentially covered by a global ocean and enveloped in a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.
It is here that traces of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) have been tentatively identified. On Earth, these compounds are produced almost exclusively by living organisms, particularly marine microbes like phytoplankton.
These findings come from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which has already detected methane and carbon dioxide in K2-18b’s atmosphere. Now, the possible presence of DMS and DMDS has intensified speculation about the planet’s potential to host life.
Could we be approaching the first credible detection of alien life—or are these molecules the byproducts of unknown non-biological processes? Could what we classify as biosignatures on Earth arise differently in alien environments? And if life can emerge in the deep oceans of a planet orbiting a distant red dwarf star, how common might it be across the universe?
If confirmed, this would mark the strongest evidence yet of life beyond Earth. Given the vastness of the cosmos, it seems unlikely that Earth is unique. The Milky Way alone hosts hundreds of billions of stars, most with planetary systems. Beyond it lie countless galaxies, each with their own stars, moons, and planets—potentially trillions of worlds.
In a universe so expansive, dynamic, and ancient, the idea that life exists only here feels increasingly improbable. Perhaps life is not the exception, but the rule.
No comments:
Post a Comment