While speculative theories for years have pointed at the possibilities of alien existence, scientists of the University of Cambridge reportedly found a fresh tentative evidence that suggested that a faraway planet orbiting another star probably has signs of life.
According to the experts, this so far is the 'strongest evidence' that supports the alien theory. As per BBC, Nikku Madhusudhan, a professor at Cambridge University's Institute of Astronomy said, "This is the strongest evidence yet there is possibly life out there. I can realistically say that we can confirm this signal within one to two years."
However, the research team also asserted that more data would be required to confirm these initial findings.
What Is K2-18b?
As per media reports, a Cambridge team of scientists who were pursuing studies on the atmosphere of a planet called K2-18b has identified signs of molecules which on Earth are only produced by simple organisms.
As per BBC, scientists said that K2-18b is an exoplanet (a planet outside the Solar System) which is two-and-a-half times the size of Earth and is 700 trillion miles, or 124 light years, away from us - a distance far beyond what any human could travel in a lifetime.
Chemical Signature: The Key Finding
Using NASA's super powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Cambridge group has reportedly identified the chemical signature of at least one of two molecules that are primarily associated with life in the atmosphere of the planet K2-18b.
The two chemicals are Dimethyl Sulphide (DMS) and Dimethyl Disulphide (DMDS) respectively which, in our planet, are produced by marine phytoplankton and bacteria.
JWST's unmatched analytical strength analyzed the chemical composition of the exoplanet's atmosphere from the light that passes through from the small red Sun it orbits.
Applauding the telescope's performance, Prof Madhusudhan told BBC that he was surprised by how much gas was apparently detected during a single observation window. "The amount we estimate of this gas in the atmosphere is thousands of times higher than what we have on Earth," he said.
"So, if the association with life is real, then this planet will be teeming with life. If we confirm that there is life on K2-18b, it should basically confirm that life is very common in the galaxy", BBC quoted him as saying
More Observation Needed Before Confirmation
Although, the findings so far are consistent with predictions for a habitable ocean-covered world, more observation would be needed to reach the final conclusion.
Citing the, News-18 reported that while the observations so far have reached the ‘three-sigma’ level of statistical significance, meaning there is a 0.3 per cent probability that they came into existence by chance, a follow-up observation between 16 and 24 hours can help reach the crucial five-sigma significance, the team added, as stated in
