Is life beyond Earth closer than we think?

Hold onto your space helmets—scientists might have just found a big clue that life exists on a planet far, far away!  A new study published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters reveals a potential sign of life on K2-18b, a planet 120 light-years away. 

And get this—it’s a molecule that’s usually linked to living organisms here on Earth, making scientists think that this distant world could just be home to life! 

Professor Nikku Madhusudhan (Credit: BBC)

A game-changer for the search of life 

K2-18b is a super-Earth that orbits a star in the so-called 'habitable zone', where conditions might be right for life. The lead researcher, Professor Nikku Madhusudhan from the University of Cambridge, said, ‘This is the strongest evidence yet that there is possibly life out there. I can realistically say we can confirm this signal within one to two years.’  he told to BBC. 

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Could there be oceans on K2-18b?

The team’s discovery also suggests that K2-18b might be covered by an ocean which is a game-changer for the search for life. After all, where there’s water, there’s a chance for life to thrive. So, could this planet be full of living organisms, just waiting to be discovered? If it’s true, it could mean that life is way more common in the universe than we thought.

The molecule found on K2-18b is similar to those produced by marine life on Earth, like bacteria and phytoplankton. The amount of this molecule in the planet’s atmosphere is thousands of times higher than what we find on Earth. This has led researchers to believe that K2-18b might be brimming with life.

Experts call for caution

Of course, not everyone’s ready to start packing for a trip to K2-18b just yet. Some experts are urging caution.

Planetary scientist Stephen Schmidt explained, ‘It’s not nothing. It’s a hint, but we cannot conclude it’s habitable yet.’ Other experts, like astronomer Laura Kreidberg, have called for more evidence before making any extraordinary claims.

As researchers continue to study K2-18b, we may be on the brink of an  new chapter in the search for life beyond Earth. It's still an exciting clue. Maybe K2-18b is the first step in finding out that we’re not so alone in the universe after all!