Astronomers announced on Thursday that they had discovered the most promising “signal” of a possible life on a planet beyond our solar system, although other scientists expressed doubts.
There is a strong debate in scientific circles about the planet K2-18BWhich is 124 light years away in Leo Nakshatra, can be the world of an ocean, which is capable of hosting at least microbial life.
Using the James Web Space TelescopeA British-US team of researchers detected signs of two chemicals in the planet’s environment, which has long been considered “bioscnathers” which indicates supernatural life.
On Earth, chemicals dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl dysalfide arise only from life, mostly subtle marine algae called phytoplankton.
Researchers insisting on caution said that more comments were required to confirm these findings, and they were not announcing a certain discovery.
But according to Nikku Madhusudhan, an astronomer of a Cambridge University and the lead author of the study, can be very big, Published in astrophizical journal letters,
Madhusudhan told BBC News He expects to get clinning evidence soon.
“This is the strongest proof yet there is possibly life,” he said. “I can say really that we can confirm this signal within one to two years.”
NASA, CSA, ESA, J. Olmusted (STSCI), Science: N. Handout through Madhushan (University of Cambridge)/Reuters
But outside experts pointed out controversies on previous discoveries about exoplanet, saying that these chemicals could be made by unknown, which means that there is nothing to do with life.
“Goldelox” region
More than eight times and 2.5 times larger than the Earth’s mass, K2–18B is rare between about 6,000 exoplanets that have been discovered so far whether it revolves around its star in a lustable or “goldlox” area.
This means that it is neither very hot nor very cold for liquid water, considered the most important component for life.
Telescopes inspect far-flung exoplanets when they cross their stars, allowing astronomers to analyze how the molecules block light streaming through their atmosphere.
In 2023, web telescope Methane and carbon dioxide detected In the K2–18B environment, for the first time such carbon-based molecules were found on an exoplanet in a living area.
It also detected weak signs of chemical DMS, a year ago a year ago, astronomers leading to the web towards the planet, this time used their mid-ending equipment to detect various wavelengths of light.
He was signed very strong signs of chemicals, although still the scientists are looking for statistical importance below the threshold of “five sigma”.
Even if the results are confirmed, it does not necessarily mean that the planet is the house of life.
Last year, scientists found DMS marks on a comet, which suggested that it could be produced by non-extraction and perhaps “bioscnechar”.
However, the concentration of chemicals seen on the K2–18B seems to be thousands of times stronger than levels on the earth, possibly suggests a biological origin, Madhusudhan said.
“Hellly hot”
K2-18B has long been considered premiere candidate “Hycene Planet” -The world of an ocean is larger than the Earth with a hydrogen -rich environment.
Hy’s planets, like Earth, are covered in oceans and have an element in the atmosphere rich in hydrogen, which is essential for life. Many planets are larger and warm than the Earth – 2.6 times larger than our planet and reach atmospheric temperatures to about 200 ° C, or 392 ° F.
Cambridge University via Reuters 
These planets would not be expected to be home for intelligent foreign lives, but were small germs the same as the Earth’s oceans.
“Hysian planets open a new avenue in our search for life elsewhere,” Madhusadhan Said earlier,
Some researches have questioned whether the currently proposed hyxian planets are very close to their stars to support liquid water-including K2–18B, which revolves around its star every 33 days.
Raymond Pierehambart, a professor of a planetary physics at the University of Oxford, has done separate research, indicating the K2–18B that is very hot for life.
If the planet has water, it would be “hellishly hot” and uninhabited, he told AFP, saying that the oceans of lava were more admirable.
Sarah Seer, a professor of planetary science in MIT, called for patience, which became a separate gas pointing to the previous claims of water vapor in the K2–18B environment.
Madhusudhan estimated that it would take only 16 to 24 hours of the web time to reach the five-igm border, which could be in the next few years.
The current three-igma is comparable to the possibilities of flipping a coin 10 times and achieving the same result every time, the statistics of the University of Cambridge Stephen Burges explained.
Five sigma must be getting that result after 20 flips, and it would mean “we can be very confident that this observation is not just a chance,” he said.
Even beyond the K2–18B, Madhusudhan said that the web and the future binoculars can allow humanity to find life outside our home, which may soon think.
“This can be the tipping point, where suddenly the fundamental question is whether we are alone in the universe, we are able to answer,” he said.
