Humanity Is Not Alone: Life Found on an Exoplanet!

We Are Getting Closer to the Answer: Signs of Possible Alien Life Found on an Exoplanet!

The eternal question of whether we are alone in the universe seems to be making a significant step forward. A recent study based on observations from the...

 James Webb Space Telescope has revealed strong evidence suggesting that a distant giant exoplanet, K2-18 b, may host forms of life!

K2-18 b is located 124 light-years away from Earth, in the constellation Leo. It has almost nine times the mass of Earth and is about 2.6 times larger. It belongs to the category of planets smaller than Neptune and orbits within the habitable zone of its star — the region where conditions are theoretically suitable for liquid water, a key ingredient for life as we know it.

The major discovery concerns the presence of two chemical compounds in the planet’s atmosphere: dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS). On Earth, these substances are produced exclusively by living organisms such as marine phytoplankton, which leads scientists to consider that there might be biological activity on K2-18 b as well.

Professor Nikos Mantousoudhan, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge and lead researcher of the team, told The Guardian that this is the strongest indication we have so far of life beyond our solar system. However, as he stressed, “we remain very cautious” and must question both the validity of the signal and its interpretation.

K2-18 b had already drawn scientists’ attention back in 2015 when it was discovered by the Kepler telescope. In 2019, the Hubble Space Telescope detected water vapor in its atmosphere, making it one of the most promising potentially habitable worlds known. Later, in 2023, the interpretation of data was revised, as the supposed water signal appeared to come from methane, sparking new questions and the theory of a deep ocean beneath its surface.

The significant discovery was made with James Webb. As the planet passed in front of its star, the telescope recorded dips at specific wavelengths consistent with absorption by DMS and DMDS. According to Mantousoudhan, the signal was “strong and clear,” marking the first time humanity has been able to detect such molecules on a potentially habitable planet beyond Earth.

The findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, show concentrations of these molecules on K2-18 b thousands of times higher than on Earth. Nevertheless, other explanations are not ruled out — such as rare cosmic impacts from comets or exotic chemical processes in the planet’s atmosphere or interior — although these remain hypothetical for now.

There is also scientific criticism. Chemist Dr. Nora Henny from the University of Bern points out that DMS has been found in comets that are not associated with life, indicating that its presence is not an absolute proof of biological activity. Additionally, the conditions on K2-18 b remain unclear — it could be an ocean planet, a gas giant, or even a magma planet.

Scientists agree that the level of certainty must be very high to confirm something so important — about 99.99999% confidence, known as a “five sigma” result. The current results stand at around 99.7%, known as “three sigma” — much stronger than before, but not enough to convince the entire scientific community.

Planetary scientist Dr. Joe Barstow notes that the skepticism level for such claims is very high and emphasizes that the burden of proof must be extremely high for this discovery to be considered definitive.

Despite disagreements, all agree this is a significant leap in exploring the universe and searching for alien life. As Dr. Subir Sarkar from Cardiff University says, K2-18 b could have an ocean that may host life — although no one can be sure yet.

The research continues, and scientists urge us to watch developments closely: the search for life beyond Earth is more alive than ever!