Exoplanet K2-18b

Exoplanet K2-18b: Scientists, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), have detected molecules linked to life in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b, offering new clues in the search for alien life.

• About Exoplanet K2-18b: It is located about 124 light years away in the Leo constellation. It is a sub-Neptune exoplanet and part of Hycean worlds – planets that are potentially habitable.
• Parent Star: The planet orbits the red dwarf star K2-18. It is about 8.6 times the mass of Earth.
• Atmosphere Composition: Based on a September 2023 paper, astronomers detected methane and carbon dioxide in its atmosphere using JWST.
• Possible Life Molecules: Recently, JWST detected either dimethyl sulfide (DMS) or dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), gases associated with life on Earth and typically produced by bacteria and marine phytoplankton.