K2-18b: The Potential Habitable Planet for Humans with Water and Methane?

KOMPAS.com – The puzzle of future planets that can be inhabited by humans other than Earth is always interesting to discuss.

However, the search for habitable planets is not easy because new human habitations must at least have water and oxygen.

One of the planets that is predicted to be habitable by humans is K2-18b, an exoplanet discovered in 2015.

Exoplanets themselves are exoplanets, aka planets outside the Milky Way solar system.

On September 11 2023, the United States Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released a report that methane was found on the planet in its atmosphere.

Previously, scientists also suspected that there was water content in K2-18b, although it could not be completely confirmed.

Also read: 10 Amazing Places on Earth That Look Like Another Planet, Which Are They?

What is planet K2-18b?

Before discussing how far K2-18b is habitable, you need to know that this planet is 111 light years from Earth.

Reporting from National Geographic, the planet is called Super Earth and is in the red dwarf star system or K2-18.

Scientists say that K2-18b orbits in the habitable star zone, aka the Goldilocks Zone.

Not only that, scientists also discovered that the distance between the planet and the star means that K2-18b receives the same amount of radiation as Earth.

However, scientists still cannot determine with certainty whether K2-18b is a Super Earth or Super Neptune.

Also read: Does It Rain on Other Planets?

Potential life in K2-18b

As scientists say, K2-18b is in the habitable star zone. However, it is also necessary to take into account how much light K2-18b receives to determine the potential for life on the planet.

Referring to IFL Science, K2-18b orbits closer to its parent star than Earth. The distance is about 16 percent of the distance from Earth to the Sun.

Apart from light, another thing that needs to be taken into account is the star’s power output or the amount of energy the star emits per second.

K2-18b emits 2.3 percent of the Sun’s radiant power.

When using geometric calculations, it can be seen that K2-18b receives around 1.22 kilowatts (kW) of solar power per square meter.

These conditions are similar to the 1.36 kW of light received by humans on Earth.

Also read: Get to know the 5 dwarf planets in the solar system, what are they?

Water vapor signature in K2-18b

Regarding the habitable zone, scientists discovered signs of water vapor in K2-18b using the Hubble telescope in 2019.

Scientists say liquid water may exist on the surface of K2-18b. Currently, they also estimate that there is a large ocean on the planet.

In addition, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) also identified carbon dioxide, methane and compounds such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in K2-18b’s atmosphere.

The existence of DMS is interesting to note because on Earth this compound is produced by algae.

However, it is not yet known for certain how DMS can be produced naturally in K2-18b without the presence of life.

Also read: Astronomers Find Planet the Size of Earth, Habitable?

Is there life on K2-18b?

The water content to DMS found in K2-18b indicates that this planet is the right place to find alien life.

However, trying to find life there is not as easy as imagined.

The method used to find out what is in an exoplanet’s atmosphere involves light from a different source (usually a star or galaxy) passing through the edge of the atmosphere where it can then be observed by humans.

Any chemical compound will absorb light at certain wavelengths which can then be identified.

Also read: Can the Aurora Phenomenon Occur on Other Planets? The following is the explanation

K2-18b contains carbon dioxide

Apart from methane and water, K2-18 b is also thought to contain carbon dioxide, as reported by USA Today.

Scientists say the size of K2-18b is larger than Earth but not larger than Neptune.

Apart from that, this planet is also not like other planets in the Solar System.

Because none of the nearby planets have the same size, scientists say the condition of K2-18b’s atmosphere remains a mystery to astronomers who are discussing its atmospheric conditions.

In the search for life on exoplanets, scientists are focusing on smaller, rocky planets, said Nikku Madhusudhan, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge.

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2023-10-03 01:30:00
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