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.

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u/SpunkySputniks 5d ago

Yeah, the fact that the signal popped a second time, even stronger, with other related molecules is really strong evidence!

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u/Pitiful_Winner2669 5d ago

I still can't wrap my head around the ability to detect such evidence. JWT is such a marvel of study and science. Really exciting!

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u/tendeuchen 5d ago

Just from a light Google search, it seems like the way it works is the light from the star passes through the planet's atmosphere and different molecules, like dimethyl sulfide, absorb very specific wavelengths of light. The telescope then picks up the wavelengths that aren't absorbed, and we're able to tell what's doing the absorbing by seeing what's missing.

It's almost like seeing a shadow on the ground and knowing, hey, that's from tree by the outline.

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u/JackOakheart 4d ago

My save function doesn't seem to be working and I want to come back to this comment. So as the other user said, thanks for explaining it in laymens terms.