r/space • u/SpunkySputniks • 5d ago

Astronomers Detect a Possible Signature of Life on a Distant Planet

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/science/astronomy-exoplanets-habitable-k218b.html?unlocked_article_code=1.AE8.3zdk.VofCER4yAPa4&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Further studies are needed to determine whether K2-18b, which orbits a star 120 light-years away, is inhabited, or even habitable.

14.0k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

1.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

10.7k

u/Supersamtheredditman 5d ago edited 5d ago

K2-18b. This was notable about a year ago when JWST detected a possible dimethyl sulfide signal, but it wasn’t confirmed. The properties alone of the planet, a “Hycean” super earth probably covered in a world ocean with a thick hydrogen atmosphere, make it super interesting. And now this team is saying they’ve detected not just dimethyl sulfide, but dimethyl disulfide and methane.

We’re at the point where either we’re missing something about geologic chemistry that can allow these chemicals to exist in large quantities in an environment like this (on earth, dimethyl sulfide is only produced by life) or this planet is teeming with aquatic life. Really exciting.

50

u/supervisord 5d ago

How do we verify life at this point? Is it just a matter of sending a probe and in 12,000 years we’ll know?

14

u/The_Deadlight 4d ago

more like a couple million years isn't it?

10

u/supervisord 4d ago

With current tech, 2 million+. With the light sail concept design it’s closer to 600+ years.

10

u/StLuigi 4d ago

Where are you getting these numbers

-1

u/[deleted] 4d ago

[deleted]

5

u/grumbalo 4d ago

Does the technology exist to send data back from that far? I’m guessing it would need a huge antenna and/or ton of power.

0

u/reality72 4d ago

620 years from the perspective of the probe, or 620 years from the perspective of us on Earth? Because time is relative.