Planet K2-18b, 700 Trillion Miles Away, Shows Signs of Life: Cambridge Scientists Detect Promising Atmospheric Clues
Date: 17-apr-2025
By Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)Science: Nikku Madhusudhan (IoA) - https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2023/139/01H9R88HG8YXRMARWZ5B1YDT27, Public Domain, Link
Cambridge researchers detect key biomarkers in exoplanet’s atmosphere
April 17, 2025 — In a breakthrough for space science and the ongoing search for extraterrestrial life, a team of researchers from the University of Cambridge has identified potential biosignatures in the atmosphere of K2-18b, a distant exoplanet approximately 700 trillion miles (or 124 light-years) from Earth.
The findings, based on data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), point to the presence of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) — compounds that, on Earth, are primarily produced by marine microbial life.
A Hycean world with potential for life
K2-18b orbits within the habitable zone of its host star in the constellation Leo and is classified as a Hycean planet — a world believed to have a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a global ocean beneath. Scientists consider Hycean worlds among the most promising places to search for microbial life beyond Earth.
- Distance from Earth: ~124 light-years (700 trillion miles)
- Planet type: Hycean world
- Detected molecules: DMS and DMDS
- Detection method: Spectroscopy via JWST
Not proof, but a major step forward
Professor Nikku Madhusudhan, who led the Cambridge study, emphasized that while the data is compelling, it is not definitive evidence of life. “On Earth, DMS is only known to be produced by life,” he noted. “Our findings suggest that the same may be true elsewhere — but further validation is essential.”
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Experts caution that non-biological processes might also produce similar chemical signatures, meaning more observations will be required to confirm a biological origin. Future JWST studies are expected to further analyze K2-18b’s atmospheric layers in more detail.
Implications for future space exploration
The discovery fuels growing interest in targeted planetary research and enhances the importance of Hycean-class planets in NASA and ESA's search-for-life missions. It also positions K2-18b as a prime candidate for long-term astrobiological study.
As technology advances and telescopic power increases, scientists hope the next decade could yield the first confirmed detection of alien life — and this new evidence from K2-18b may be a crucial early chapter in that story.
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