NASA's James Webb Space Telescope recently spotted an exoplanet named K2-18 b outside our solar system.
K2-18 b, a planet 8.6 times the size of Earth, has shown signs of methane and carbon dioxide in its atmosphere.
Scientists believe K2-18 b may be a Hycean exoplanet, characterized by hydrogen-rich atmospheres and liquid-water oceans.
Dimethyl sulfide (DMS), a molecule associated with life on Earth, was also possibly detected on K2-18 b.
K2-18 b resides in the habitable zone, often called the "Goldilocks zone," where conditions could support the existence of water on its surface.
The planet's atmosphere lacks ammonia, suggesting the potential presence of an ocean beneath its
hydrogen-rich atmospher
e.
DMS in K2-18 b's atmosphere raises the possibility of life, as it is produced by phytoplankton on
Earth
.
Future observations by the
James Webb Space Telescope
may confirm the presence of DMS on K2-18 b.
Astronomers emphasize the need to explore a variety of habitable environments in the quest for
life beyond our planet.