A giant planet, 124 light years from Earth, has yielded the strongest evidence yet of extra-terrestrial life.
K2-18b
The planet, called K2-18b, which sits in the Leo system, was observed through the James Webb space telescope.
Observations revealed the chemical signature of two compounds that, on Earth, are known to be produced by life.
The planet is nine times as massive as Earth and nearly three times as large.
Biological activity beyond the solar system
Professor Nikku Madhusudhan, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge who led the observations, said, “This is the strongest evidence to date for a biological activity beyond the solar system.”
But he did urge caution,: “We are very cautious. We must question ourselves both on what the signal means and if it is real.”
He also expressed the finding’s significance.
“This could be a tipping point, where suddenly the fundamental question of whether we are alone in the universe is one we are capable of answering.”
