Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope confirmed the planet K2-18b has traces of dimethyl sulfide, a potential biosignature of marine microorganisms.
Astronomers have found one of the most promising indications that there could be extraterrestrial life on another planet. With the help of the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers have detected what they believe could be biosignatures of marine microorganisms on K2-18b, an exoplanet located in the habitable zone of its parent star 124 light-years away. According to research led by the University of Cambridge, the team detected traces of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) in the planet's atmosphere. On Earth, these compounds are produced only by microbial life such as phytoplankton. The scientists admit that there is a possibility that these substances have been produced on the planet by an unknown chemical process unrelated to microorganisms. However, they also emphasize that the data represent the strongest evidence to date for possible life on a planet other than our own. The results were published in the scientific journal The…