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Hints of Life on a Distant Planet Spark Scientific Excitement — but More Proof is Needed
Scientists have uncovered new, though still tentative, signs that a distant planet orbiting another star might harbor life.
A team from the University of Cambridge, studying the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b, has detected molecules that, on Earth, are only produced by simple life forms. The findings, observed using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), mark the second — and most promising — detection of life-associated chemicals on the planet.
However, researchers emphasize that more data is needed to confirm the findings.
“This is the strongest evidence yet that there may be life out there,” said lead researcher Prof. Nikku Madhusudhan from Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy. “We could realistically confirm this signal within one to two years.”
K2-18b is located 124 light-years from Earth — roughly 700 trillion miles away — and is about 2.5 times the size of Earth. JWST’s capabilities allow scientists to analyze its atmospheric composition through starlight filtering from its host star, a small red sun.
The Cambridge team identified chemical signatures of two gases: dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and dimethyl disulphide (DMDS). On Earth, these are produced by marine plankton and bacteria. What surprised the researchers was the potential quantity — thousands of times higher than Earth’s levels, based on a single observation.
“If this gas is truly biological in origin, the planet could be teeming with life,” said Prof. Madhusudhan. He added that confirming life on K2-18b would strongly suggest that life is common throughout the galaxy.
Dr. Subir Sarkar, an astrophysicist at Cardiff University and part of the research team, noted the possibility of an ocean on the planet — a potential cradle for life. But he cautioned, “We don’t know for sure.”
Despite the excitement, scientists remain cautious. The findings currently meet a “three sigma” level of confidence — about 99.7% certainty — which is notable but still falls short of the “five sigma” (99.99999%) threshold required to claim a scientific discovery.
This is, however, an improvement from the “one sigma” (68%) result from 18 months ago, which drew skepticism at the time.
Even with five sigma certainty, the origin of the detected gases would remain debatable, according to Prof. Catherine Heymans, Scotland’s Astronomer Royal. "We can't say with certainty that it's biological just because that's the case on Earth," she said, noting unknown geological processes might also produce the gases.
The Cambridge team agrees and is collaborating with other scientists to explore non-biological ways DMS and DMDS could form.
“There’s still a 0.3% chance it’s a statistical fluke,” said Prof. Madhusudhan. “It’s a bold claim, so we’re taking every step to ensure the evidence is robust.”
Alternate theories suggest K2-18b could be a mini gas giant with no surface or that the absence of ammonia in its atmosphere — a clue leading some to suspect a vast ocean — could instead point to an ocean of molten rock, which would rule out life.
“We’re interpreting faint signals from a very distant world,” said Prof. Oliver Shorttle of Cambridge. “It’s still unclear what kind of planet K2-18b really is.”
Dr. Nicolas Wogan of NASA’s Ames Research Center has proposed that the planet might not be habitable at all. Meanwhile, other researchers have challenged both geological and atmospheric interpretations, contributing to a growing debate around K2-18b.
Prof. Chris Lintott, host of BBC’s The Sky at Night, expressed admiration for the research but urged caution: “We've had moments like this before. It’s part of a broader journey to understand our universe.”
Despite the hurdles ahead, Prof. Madhusudhan remains hopeful.
“Decades from now, we may look back at this moment as the point when the living universe came within reach,” he said. “It could be the tipping point in our quest to answer whether we’re alone.”
The findings have been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
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