Discover the strongest physical evidence to date of the existence of aliens!
NASA scientists have discovered what could be the first physical evidence of the existence of aliens and extraterrestrial life.
A report published by the British newspaper Metro, and viewed by Al Arabiya.net, said: “NASA raised hopes of finding alien life after it revealed traces of a molecule produced only by living organisms on Earth, which may have been discovered on a distant exoplanet.”
The substance that was discovered in outer space is “dimethyl sulfide”, which has the symbol (DMS), and this substance is produced by life, mainly phytoplankton in the oceans, rivers and lakes.
However, the James Webb Space Telescope's analysis of K2-18 b, an exoplanet located about 120 light-years from Earth, indicates there may be traces of DMS in its atmosphere.
While the results have not yet been confirmed, the space telescope investigation has also found evidence of carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide. These add further support to the theory that K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet, a planet with a surface covered by a water ocean and a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.
The exoplanet was found in the habitable or “temperate” zone around its star, meaning it is neither too hot nor too cold to hold liquid water.
Many astronomers hope that these Hessian worlds are promising environments for extraterrestrial life.
Professor Nico Madhusudan, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge and lead author of the paper announcing the findings, said: “Our findings underscore the importance of considering diverse habitable environments when searching for life elsewhere.”
“Traditionally, the search for life on exoplanets has focused primarily on smaller, rocky planets, but larger Hessian worlds are more suitable for atmospheric observations,” he added.
The recently discovered exoplanet is known as sub-Neptune, and it is about nine times larger than Earth. Sub-Neptunian planets are rare in our cosmic neighborhood and are still not well understood, but the latest results from the James Webb Space Telescope are very exciting, according to what scientists say.
Team member Subhajit Sarkar, from Cardiff University, said: “Although this type of planet does not exist in our solar system, sub-Neptunian planets are the most common type of planet known so far in the galaxy.”
He added: “We obtained the most detailed spectrum of Neptune’s habitable subzone to date, and this allowed us to identify molecules in its atmosphere.”
Astronomers around the world study exoplanet atmospheres as part of the search for extraterrestrial life. However, it's not easy since their parent star literally outshines them, making it impossible to see them. As such, many exoplanets are detected by subtle changes in the brightness of the star as it passes in front of it.
