Illustration of planet K2-18 b – Photo: NASA, CSA, ESA, J. Olmsted (STScI), N. Madhusudan (University of Cambridge)
The planet K2-18b, located outside the Solar System and orbiting near the cool dwarf star K2-18, lies within the habitable zone, also known as Goldilocks, and is 8.6 times larger than Earth. Telescopic observations show there is a lot of methane and CO2 on the planet2 In the environment.
According to NASA, the presence of these carbon-bearing molecules, as well as the lack of ammonia (NH)3), may suggest a hydrogen-rich atmosphere around the oceanic world.
Earlier, the Hubble Space Telescope had detected evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere of the planet K2-18b. The discovery, described in a September 2019 study, helps scientists continue research on K2-18b.
The James Webb Telescope also discovered that a very special molecule called dimethyl sulfide (DMS) may be present on the planet K2-18b. On Earth, dimethyl sulfide can only be produced by life.
Astronomer Nikku Madhusudan, professor of planetary astrophysics at the University of Cambridge, emphasized that more research is needed to confirm the presence of dimethyl sulfide.
Even as scientists confirm the presence of the chemical compound, Professor Madhusudan, lead author of a new scientific paper describing the findings, has been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Hey, it doesn’t guarantee that life forms exist there, but this scientific evidence expands scientists’ understanding of exoplanets similar to K2-18b.
(tagstotranslate) water planet
