Researchers find “the strongest evidence” of life outside the solar system, saying more data is needed

The researchers said the prompts of known molecules produced by marine organisms have been detected on external stars, which provides “the strongest evidence to date” outside the solar system, and the researchers said more data is needed. “K2-18 B” is an exoplanet over 8.5 times the Earth’s exoplanet, where the enormous amount of carbon molecules previously contained in carbon (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) have been found. The external star belongs to the 120 light-years of the earth, spinning the star “K2-18”.

In this study, researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK analyzed data recorded by NASA’s James Webb space telescope and found fingerprints of “dimethyl sulfide” and “dimethyl disulfide” – known to be produced on Earth by Microbes, such as Marine Phytopopplankton.

The molecules provided “the strongest evidence to date that life may exist on planets outside our solar system,” the team said in a statement, even though their formation on K2-18 B remains unknown.
However, Nikku Madhusudhan, professor of astrophysics and external industry science at the Department of Astrophysics and Cambridge University, said that while the results are exciting, it is crucial to get more data before claiming to discover life in another world.

He added that although he was cautiously optimistic, the chemical processes that previously worked on K2-18b could lead to observations.

“We report new independent evidence with 3 sigma (statistical) significance (dimethyldimethyl) and/or (dimethyldisulfide dimethyl) with high abundance in at least two molecules (more than 10 copies per million). In a 2023 study published in the letters of the Journal of Astrophysics, the team recorded evidence of “rich” carbon-containing gases in the K2-18 atmosphere – methane and carbon dioxide, which were found to be rich in hydrogen. The author wrote in a 2023 study, “The non-detection of abundant CH4 and CO2 and ammonia (NH3) is consistent with the chemical predictions of the temperate H2-filled ocean on K2-18 B. ”

The team also detected “potential signs” of dimethyl sulfide. The molecule is believed to predict life in the Hycean world, an exoplanet completely covered by oceans under a hydrogen-rich ocean.

“We’re not sure if the signal we saw last time was caused by (dimethyl sulfide), but that’s just an exciting hint that we can use other instruments to take a look with the James Webb Space Telescope again,” Madhusudhan said.

The latest result, he explained, is that “using separate lines of evidence for light ranges of different instruments than before and with different wavelengths, where there is no light that overlaps with previous observations.”

Lead Researchera added: “The signal goes through strong and clear.”

Co-author Subhajit Sarkar from Cardiff University in the UK said finding molecular fingerprints of possible life raises profound questions about the production process. ”

The team now seeks to conduct further research to determine whether dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide can be produced abiotically.