Scientists believe they have found the strongest evidence yet of extraterrestrial life in the form of a giant planet 124 light years from Earth.
Astronomers working with the James Webb space telescope believe they have found the chemical fingerprints of two compounds that are known to be produced by life on the far-away planet K2-18 b.
The chemicals, dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), do not prove alien life is out there, but could mark the largest step toward the discovery of extraterrestrials in decades.
“This is the strongest evidence to date for a biological activity beyond the solar system,” Prof Nikku Madhusudhan, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge who led the observations, said.
“We are very cautious. We have to question ourselves both on whether the signal is real and what it means.
“Decades from now, we may look back at this point in time and recognise it was when the living universe came within reach.
“This could be the tipping point, where suddenly the fundamental question of whether we’re alone in the universe is one we’re capable of answering.”
K2-18 b is more than twice the size of Earth, with a mass nine times greater. Continue reading.. https://lnkd.in/evhWmvdf
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