Webb Spots Possible Life Signs

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has found potential signs of life on a distant planet, K2-18b, located about 700 trillion miles from Earth. A Cambridge University research team, led by Prof. Nikku Madhusudhan, discovered molecules in the planet's atmosphere that on Earth are only produced by simple organisms like marine phytoplankton and bacteria, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency

Although the findings are promising, the team cautions that more data is needed. Current results show a 99.7% confidence level, short of the 99.99999% required to claim a scientific discovery. Still, it’s a major step forward compared to earlier data.

The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, highlights how JWST’s powerful instruments can analyze a planet’s atmosphere across vast cosmic distances. If confirmed, the discovery could suggest life is common in the galaxy.

“This could be the tipping point,” said Madhusudhan, “where suddenly the fundamental question of whether we're alone in the universe is one we're capable of answering.”