US EditionHints of Life on Exoplanet Recede Even Further
EXOPLANET K2-18B, JUL 28 – New analyses of James Webb Space Telescope data find no conclusive evidence of biomolecules on K2-18b but confirm methane, carbon dioxide, and a water-rich atmosphere, researchers say.
- Scientists led by Renyu Hu and Nikku Madhusudhan analyzed new JWST observations of exoplanet K2-18b located 124 light years away, seeking biosignature gases.
- Initial claims in April that K2-18b’s atmosphere contained dimethyl sulfide , a molecule linked to life on Earth, prompted further scrutiny and debate among researchers.
- Subsequent studies using updated data and different statistical models found no statistically significant evidence for DMS or dimethyl disulfide, though methane and carbon dioxide remain confirmed.
- Madhusudhan noted that while the evidence for DMS is not definitive, the statistical analysis indicates a slightly stronger signal for its presence in the data. Meanwhile, Hu highlighted that any potential signal is weak and remains inconclusive.
- These findings reduce the likelihood of detecting life-related molecules on K2-18b, but scientists agree the planet is water-rich and urge more observations to clarify its atmospheric and interior properties.
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Svenska Dagbladet
kt-kuriren.seA few weeks ago, hope was raised for life on another planet in the universe. But now that hope is fading after new observations failed to see any signs of life on the celestial body.
At the beginning of this year, astronomers announced possible life-indications on another planet. However, new observations from the Space Telescope James Webb (JWST) suggest that the supposed bioassignation is not, finally, present in the ex-planet K2-18b. It will be...
NewScientist
Anti-Aging, Acupuncture and Health NewsSigns of alien life on exoplanet K2-18b have all but vanished
Earlier this year, astronomers reported possible evidence of life on another planet – but new observations from JWST suggest the apparent biosignature isn’t there after all
A large subsuptural-sized planet, rotating around a red dwarf star at 124 light-years, has been the subject of debate among several scientists in recent months. According to models of a group of Cambridge scientists using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), there were signs of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and [...]
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