Current:Home > ContactNASA's James Webb Space Telescope observes planet in a distant galaxy that might support life -Blueprint Money Mastery
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope observes planet in a distant galaxy that might support life
View
Date:2025-04-19 16:13:18
NASA'S James Webb Space Telescope observed a planet outside of our galaxy that might be able to support life. Webb discovered the presence of methane and carbon dioxide on the exoplanet K2-18 b, which is 8.6 times the size of Earth. This indicates K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet.
Exoplanets are planets beyond our solar system and Hycean, which comes from a combination of "hydrogen" and "ocean," describes planets that scientists hypothesize have hydrogen-rich atmospheres and liquid-water oceans, according to Space.com.
There was also a possible detection of dimethyl sulfide dimethyl sulfide, known as DMS, on K2-18 b. DMS is a molecule that, when on Earth, is produced by life, according to NASA.
K2-18 b is in the habitable zone, which means its distance from a star may allow water to exist on its surface. These zones are also known as "Goldilocks zones," taking their name from the old children's story because conditions are "just right" for life.
Not only did the planet show an abundance of methane and carbon dioxide, but also a shortage of ammonia. This means an ocean may exist under K2-18 b's hydrogen-rich atmosphere, according to NASA.
The DMS on the planet also leads researchers to believe there could be life on the planet, since DMS in Earth's atmosphere is created by phytoplankton, a marine algae that provides food to sea creatures and is created by sunlight.
"Upcoming Webb observations should be able to confirm if DMS is indeed present in the atmosphere of K2-18 b at significant levels," said Nikku Madhusudhan, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge and lead author of the paper on these observations.
Planets like K2-12 b are still "poorly understood," NASA says. However, some astronomers believe they could be a promising place to search for life.
"Our findings underscore the importance of considering diverse habitable environments in the search for life elsewhere," Madhusudhan said. "Traditionally, the search for life on exoplanets has focused primarily on smaller rocky planets, but the larger Hycean worlds are significantly more conducive to atmospheric observations."
The exoplanet's oceans could be too hot to support life. But while K2-18 b has carbon-bearing molecules, it is not yet known if the planet could support life, according to NASA.
There have only been two observations of K2-18 b but there are "many more on the way," said Savvas Constantinou of the University of Cambridge, who worked on the Webb team that observed the exoplanet. "This means our work here is but an early demonstration of what Webb can observe in habitable-zone exoplanets."
- In:
- James Webb Space Telescope
- NASA
Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.
veryGood! (24724)
Related
- Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
- Multiple dogs euthanized in Alabama after fatally attacking 27-year-old man
- The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is advanced and retro—pre-order today and save up to $1,070
- Feast on 'Sofreh' — a book that celebrates Persian cooking, past and future
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Climate change made July hotter for 4 of 5 humans on Earth, scientists find
- Banking executive Jeffrey Schmid named president of Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank
- Metro Phoenix voters to decide on extension of half-cent sales tax for transportation projects
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- China floods have left at least 20 dead
Ranking
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- Can't finish a book because of your attention span? 'Yellowface' will keep the pages turning
- Former Lizzo dancers accuse her of sexual harassment and racial discrimination
- Wilt Chamberlain’s 1972 finals jersey expected to draw more than $4 million at Sotheby’s auction
- Average rate on 30
- Gunfire to ring out at Parkland school once again. A reenactment is planned Friday.
- If I'm invited to a destination wedding, am I obliged to attend?
- Body recovered from New York City creek identified as Goldman Sachs analyst
Recommendation
Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
Ex-Border Patrol agent charged with seeking $5,000 bribe from migrant
New York Mets trade Justin Verlander back to Houston Astros in MLB deadline deal
Pair mortally wounded in shootout with Ohio state troopers following pursuits, kidnapping
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
Trump indicted in 2020 election probe, Fitch downgrades U.S. credit rating: 5 Things podcast
Video footage, teamwork with police helped find man accused of firing at Jewish school in Memphis
Malala Yousafzai and husband join Barbie craze: This Barbie has a Nobel Prize. He's just Ken