The James Webb Space Telescope recently located an exoplanet called K2-18 B just 120 light-years away that has been compared to Earth in that it has traces of carbon dioxide and methane, but no ammonia, suggesting a planet covered in oceans under a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.
However, one element particularly intrigued researchers: the potential presence of dimethyl sulfide, a compound produced by phytoplankton in Earth’s oceans.
This could indicate the existence of active biological life producing the compound at a rate 20 times higher than on Earth.
These results come from a study by the University of Cambridge that analyzed data from the James Webb Space Telescope and highlighted the importance of such searches for future discoveries of potentially habitable worlds.
The team plans to use other instruments to continue observing K2-18 B.
Eddie Schwieterman, astrobiologist at the University of California, noted that the most promising biosignatures on an exoplanet could be different from those on Earth, and that hydrogen-rich atmospheres could reveal unexpected compounds.
