James Webb Spots Signs of Life on Nearby Planet

Astronomers say they've spotted a possible sign of life in the atmosphere of K2-18b, an exoplanet 124 light-years away, using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. As detailed in a new paper published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters, the international team of researchers led by University of Cambridge astrophysicist Nikku Madhusudhan says they've detected the molecule dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the planet's atmosphere, which here on Earth — at least as far as we know — is only produced by living organisms. The team also suggests that it's possible that K2-18b may be a "Hycean" planet, a portmanteau of the words "hydrogen" and "ocean." It's located in its parent red dwarf star system's habitable zone, which means that the conditions could allow liquid water to exist on its surface. But, as always, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. For one, there's no guarantee that DMS is the result of biological activity; it could be present in the exoplanet's atmosphere ... Read full article.