Webb finds molecule only made by living things in another world

[Jilly_in_VA]

While the James Webb Space Telescope observed the atmosphere of an alien world 120 light-years away, it picked up hints of a substance only made by living things — at least, that is, on Earth.

This molecule, known as dimethyl sulfide, is primarily produced by phytoplankton, microscopic plant-like organisms in salty seas as well as freshwater.

The detection by Webb, a powerful infrared telescope in space run by NASA and the European and Canadian space agencies, is part of a new investigation into K2-18 b, an exoplanet almost nine times Earth's mass in the constellation Leo. The study also found an abundance of carbon-bearing molecules, such as methane and carbon dioxide. This discovery bolsters previous work suggesting the distant world has a hydrogen-rich atmosphere hanging over an ocean.

Such planets believed to exist in the universe are called Hycean, combining the words "hydrogen" and "ocean."

"This (dimethyl sulfide) molecule is unique to life on Earth: There is no other way this molecule is produced on Earth," said astronomer Nikku Madhusudhan in a University of Cambridge video. "So it has been predicted to be a very good biosignature in exoplanets and habitable exoplanets, including Hycean worlds."

https://mashable.com/article/james-webb-space-telescope-exoplanet-discovery-1

Exciting!

[EarnestPutz]

1. Watch the video if you can. Professor Madhusudhan and his passion are really interesting.

[scipan]

4. Thanks, I watched. It was exciting and enlightening.

K2-18b is my new favorite exoplanet.

Incoming stellar radiation amounts to 1368+114
−107 W/m2, similar to the average insolation Earth receives.[7] K2-18b is located within or just slightly inside the habitable zone of its star,[62] – it may be close to[63] but fall short the runaway greenhouse threshold[64] – and its equilibrium temperature is about 250 K (−23 °C; −10 °F) to 300 K (27 °C; 80 °F).[15] Whether the planet is actually habitable depends on the nature of the envelope;[30] the deeper layers of the atmosphere may be too hot,[34] while the water-containing layers might have temperatures and pressures suitable for the development of life.[25]

Microorganisms from Earth can survive in hydrogen-rich atmospheres, illustrating that hydrogen is no impediment to life. However, a number of biosignature gases used to identify the presence of life are not reliable indicators when found in a hydrogen-rich atmosphere, thus different markers would be needed to identify biological activity at K2-18b.[65] According to Madhusudhan et al., several of these markers could be detected by the James Webb Space Telescope after a reasonable number of observations.[66]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K2-18b

[EarnestPutz]

5. Thanks for the info on what is, no doubt, now my favorite exoplanet.

[scipan]

6. You're welcome and thanks to you too. Nt

[Wounded Bear]

2. Cool stuff! Thanks for the link...nt

[LymphocyteLover]

3. Wow! Interesting times, for sure!