Astronomers have identified a potential biosignature on exoplanet K2-18b, located 124 light-years away, using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. They found dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the planet's atmosphere, a molecule typically associated with biological activity on Earth. The planet may be a "Hycean" one, positioned within its star's habitable zone, which raises the potential for liquid water. Despite this significant finding, researchers, including lead scientist Nikku Madhusudhan, urge caution, emphasizing that DMS could also arise from non-biological sources. They seek to avoid premature claims about extraterrestrial life.
"It's pretty hard to be sure that a chemical that we associate with life can ONLY be made by living things. Chemistry is pretty weird, and the galaxy is a very big petri dish."
"It is in no one's interest to claim prematurely that we have detected life," Madhusudhan told reporters.
"Either we are looking at a new chemical process that we haven't seen before... or we're witnessing the first signs of biological activity outside of Earth."
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