Scientists may have found the strongest sign yet that life could exist outside our solar system. They discovered special gases in the atmosphere of a faraway planet that, on Earth, are usually made by living things.
The planet is called K2-18b, and it is located many light-years away from us. Using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, scientists found two gases in its atmosphere — dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS). On our planet, these gases are mostly produced by tiny living things like algae in the ocean.
This discovery has made researchers wonder if something similar could be happening on K2-18b. It suggests that there might be biological processes at work, possibly caused by simple life forms such as microbes. However, scientists are being careful. They say that even though the gases are a big clue, this doesn’t mean there is definitely life on the planet. It’s a sign that something interesting is happening, but more studies are needed to understand it better.
Still, it’s an exciting step forward in the search for life beyond Earth, and it shows how powerful new tools like the James Webb Space Telescope are helping us learn more about the universe.
