2023-09-12 03:10:48
Scientists at the US space agency NASA have discovered an exoplanet with the possibility of a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a surface covered in oceans. K18-2b, an exoplanet with a mass 8.6 times that of Earth, was examined with the help of the James Webb Space Telescope. NASA said on Monday that the presence of carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide was “interesting,” as some astronomers believed these worlds were “promising environments to search for evidence of life.” “Our findings underscore the importance of considering diverse habitable environments in the search for life elsewhere,” said Niku Madhusudhan, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge and lead author of the paper announcing the findings. The abundance of methane and carbon dioxide and the lack of ammonia supported the hypothesis that there may be a water ocean beneath the hydrogen-rich atmosphere of K18-2b. NASA said there is also a possible discovery of a molecule called dimethyl sulfide, but more research is needed. On Earth, dimethyl sulfide is produced only by life, with the bulk of the molecule emitted by phytoplankton in marine environments. NASA added that while the planet is located in the habitable zone and harbors carbon-bearing molecules, this does not necessarily mean it can support life. The planet’s size suggests it has a large atmosphere of high-pressure ice, like Neptune’s, but with a thinner hydrogen-rich atmosphere and an oceanic surface. It was also possible for the ocean to be too hot to be habitable or liquid. “Our ultimate goal is to identify life on a habitable exoplanet, which would change our understanding of our place in the universe,” Madhusudhan said.
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