NASA Discovers Exoplanet K2-18 b: A Potential Hycean World in the Habitable Zone

Liputan6.com, Jakarta – An investigation was carried out by NASA into photos taken by the James Webb space telescope. From this investigation, an exoplanet called exoplanet K2-18 b was discovered.

This exoplanet is 8.6 times larger than Earth. It was also revealed that planets located far from the Milky Way galaxy contain the elements methane and carbon dioxide.

The findings of the James Webb telescope add to knowledge, and K2-18 b is thought to be a hycean exoplanet, one that could potentially have a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a surface covered in ocean.

Quoting NASA, Friday (15/9/2023), the first understanding of the properties of exoplanet atmospheres in the habitable zone came from observations with the James Webb space telescope.

This exoplanet, named K2-18 b, orbits the cool star K2-18 in a habitable habitat and is 120 light years from Earth, in the constellation Leo.

Exoplanets like K2-18 b, which are between Earth and Neptune, are unlike other planets in the human solar system.

The nature of the atmosphere on this planet is still an active debate among astronomers. The suggestion that sub-Neptune K2-18 b may be a Hycean exoplanet is quite interesting.

The reason is, some astronomers believe that this world is a promising environment for searching for life on extrasolar planets.

2023-09-15 00:30:15
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