The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been making headlines recently with its potential discovery of signs of life on the exoplanet K2-18b. K2-18b, an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, is located 120 light-years away in the constellation Leo. It orbits a cool dwarf star, K2-18, within the habitable zone, making it a captivating target in the search for life.
Potential Signs of Microscopic Marine Life
In 2023, the JWST detected potential signs of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in K2-18b’s atmosphere, a compound produced by ocean phytoplankton on Earth. This discovery sparked excitement among researchers due to the possibility of microscopic marine life in its oceans.
