Alien Discovery at Hand: Rapid Technique Unveiled by Scientists for Detection; Potential Habitat Identified on Exoplanet
In the ongoing quest to discover signs of life beyond our planet, scientists are focusing their efforts on a new approach – targeting larger Hycean planets for the detection of methyl halides. These gases, produced by fungi, algae, and bacteria on Earth, could be a sign of alien life.
Nikku Madhusudhan, a renowned astrophysicist, recently suggested that the traces of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) on K2-18b could be "the first hints we are seeing of an alien world that is possibly inhabited." This exoplanet, located approximately 110 light-years away, is covered by deep oceans, making it a potential Hycean planet.
Researchers have proposed using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to search for biosignatures such as methyl halides. The JWST, which is currently orbiting approximately a million miles away from Earth, has five times the surface area of its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope. Its mirrors work like powerful pupils, collecting even the faintest light from far away galaxies.
Using a simulation, scientists found that methyl chloride, a type of methyl halide, can feasibly accumulate on exoplanet K2-18b, and the gases would be detectable in as little as 13 hours with the JWST.
Other researchers, however, have questioned the evidence for the presence of DMS on K2-18b. Despite this, the methyl halides approach offers new hope for planet K2-18b in the search for life. Even negative results from the search for methyl halides on K2-18b can improve future searches for biosignatures on similar worlds.
The JWST team at NASA is skeptical about what one biosignature, in this case methyl halides, could mean. They emphasize the need for multiple converging lines of evidence. If methyl halides are found on multiple planets, it could suggest that microbial life is common across the universe.
Emma Frederickson, a science editor who graduated from Pace University, is passionate about covering topics like climate change, conspiracy theories, and weird biology. Prior to her role as an editor, Emma was a freelance science reporter. In her spare time, she enjoys searching for the world’s best oat milk cappuccino.
Since Christmas day in 2021, the JWST has been looking back in time and capturing images from the earliest galaxies. The telescope records the light in binary code and translates it into images once the data reaches Earth.
Researchers have identified several likely candidates for Hycean planets, which are covered by deep oceans. The JWST is set to search for biosignatures, particularly methyl halides, on these planets in the near future. The search for alien life continues, and with the JWST, we are one step closer to answering the age-old question: Are we alone in the universe?
For more information about Emma Frederickson and her work, you can read her full bio.
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