Has NASA discovered life on a distant planet? The official reaction of scientists has appeared
Rumors have spread among the scientific community that NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has discovered a distant planet with clear signs of life. The space agency, to a certain extent, refuted these data, but there were some “buts”.
Details told Ars Technica publication. Scientists believe that even if rumors about what the telescope discovered are wrong, it will still confirm its promise.
James Webb Exoplanet Science Project deputy scientist Nicole Colon said there was no “definitive evidence” yet, but there was a possibility that such an extraordinary discovery was on the horizon. However, research that could confirm the identification of life on a distant planet will require many years.
She noted that future missions will be needed “to definitively establish the exoplanet’s habitability.”
The publication notes that this response is aimed at stopping the uncontrolled spread of rumors, but still leaves the door open to certain possibilities, since NASA did not respond to the rumors with a categorical “no.”
Potential biosignatures were discovered in 2023 on exoplanet K2-18b. It is a likely oceanic world that is approximately 8.6 times more massive than Earth. It is located at a distance of about 120 light years from us.
Exoplanet K2-18 b
A new wave of rumors about the discovery of life on this distant planet began to spread after articles in The Spectator entitled “Did We Just Discover Aliens?”, which features opinions from leading figures in the astronomical community.
“The James Webb Telescope may have already found (alien life),” the publication quoted British astronaut Tim Peake.
He said NASA “doesn’t want to release or confirm these results until they are completely sure.”
“But we have found a planet that appears to be emitting strong signals of biological life,” Peake said.
A molecule called dimethyl sulfide was discovered on K2-18 b. This is a substance that is produced only by living organisms on Earth. It’s no surprise that scientists believe this world, with oceans and a hydrogen-rich atmosphere, could potentially be home to life.
In addition, the exoplanet is located in the so-called “golden” zone of its star, due to which the planet’s surface is neither too hot nor too cold for life forms known to mankind.
Scientists’ reluctance to make a sensation out of this is explained by the fact that additional observations, possibly using completely new instruments, will be required to confirm the telescope’s data. Moreover, it is quite possible that dimethyl sulfide can be produced without life.
At the same time, astrophysicist from Oxford University Rebecca Smethurst expresses confident optimism.
“I think that very soon we will have a paper that will provide convincing evidence for the presence of a biosignature on an exoplanet,” Smethurst said.
Earlier OBOZ.UA reported that Humanity may already have found life on Marsbut could accidentally kill him.
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