| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away 07:32 - Apr 17 with 6145 views | StokieBlue |
Using the James Webb scientists have been able to analyse the compounds present on planet K2-18 b which is ~124 LY from Earth. This analysis has shown the presence of DMS and DMDS in the atmosphere which on Earth are only created by life, mainly marine phytoplankton [1][2].
K2-18 b is 2.6 times the size of Earth and lays within the habitable zone of it's star [3]. In 2019 the Hubble appeared to spot water vapour (and hints of DMS) and there is speculation that the planet is covered in a single deep ocean which would tally with marine organisms creating the biosignature.
Of course all of this is unproven, they aren't at the 5 sigma level of confidence yet and there may be other sources of DMS and DMDS that we don't know about because they don't exist on Earth but it's certainly a promising discovery with regards to the potential of life outside the solar system. If it's present on this planet, it's likely present everywhere.
SB
[1]. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/apr/17/scientists-hail-strongest-eviden
[2]. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c39jj9vkr34o
[3]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitable_zone [Post edited 17 Apr 7:32]
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 07:35 - Apr 17 with 3743 views | SuperKieranMcKenna |
I read that this morning - fascinating discovery even if somewhat inconclusive. Incredible that we’ll probably never know for certain if life exists on that planet. |  | | |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 07:43 - Apr 17 with 3703 views | Keno |
Scientist also confirm it has a better atmosphere than Carrow Road, although in fairness the most inhospitable lifeless planet does as well |  |
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:14 - Apr 17 with 3619 views | MattinLondon |
This is probably a silly question - but if we were all on K2-18 b and the James Webb was pointing at Earth. Would scientists be 100% convinced that there was life on this planet? |  | | |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:24 - Apr 17 with 3601 views | blueasfook |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:14 - Apr 17 by MattinLondon |
This is probably a silly question - but if we were all on K2-18 b and the James Webb was pointing at Earth. Would scientists be 100% convinced that there was life on this planet? |
If they were able to read TWTD from there, they'd probably conclude that there was no intelligent life. |  |
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:28 - Apr 17 with 3561 views | Mullet |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:24 - Apr 17 by blueasfook |
If they were able to read TWTD from there, they'd probably conclude that there was no intelligent life. |
I don't think they'd just look at your posts in fairness. |  |
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:28 - Apr 17 with 3553 views | blueasfook |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:28 - Apr 17 by Mullet |
I don't think they'd just look at your posts in fairness. |
Ouch | |
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:29 - Apr 17 with 3532 views | NedPlimpton |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:24 - Apr 17 by blueasfook |
If they were able to read TWTD from there, they'd probably conclude that there was no intelligent life. |
They'd certainly take a look at a fair few posts and think they weren't welcome to come to this planet! |  | | |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:32 - Apr 17 with 3485 views | ThisIsMyUsername |
124 LY away. That distance...
Speed of light = 186,282 miles per second.
124 LY = the distance light travels in 124 years.
Impossible to get your head around such distances. |  |
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:34 - Apr 17 with 3460 views | MattinLondon |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:29 - Apr 17 by NedPlimpton |
They'd certainly take a look at a fair few posts and think they weren't welcome to come to this planet! |
Stop the spaceships. Hate preacher Farage is currently up to the skies with his Fisher Price telescope demanding action. | | | |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:34 - Apr 17 with 3455 views | Guthrum |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:32 - Apr 17 by ThisIsMyUsername |
124 LY away. That distance...
Speed of light = 186,282 miles per second.
124 LY = the distance light travels in 124 years.
Impossible to get your head around such distances. |
Everything we see actually happened 124 years ago.
And that's really quite close, in astronomical terms. |  |
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:35 - Apr 17 with 3444 views | blueasfook |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:32 - Apr 17 by ThisIsMyUsername |
124 LY away. That distance...
Speed of light = 186,282 miles per second.
124 LY = the distance light travels in 124 years.
Impossible to get your head around such distances. |
And as we don't currently have the technology to travel at anything approaching the speed of light, in reality would likely take hundreds of thousands of years to get there. Next adventure for Katy Perry maybe? | |
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:35 - Apr 17 with 3442 views | NthQldITFC |
Good timing: At 124LY away, the inhabitants have got just three days to wait before they see the event that precipitated the crazy invention of the dreaded VAR some hundred and twenty odd years later on Earth...
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April 20, 1901 (Saturday)
The finals of England's Football Association Cup took place before a record crowd of 114,815 spectators at London's Crystal Palace outdoor stadium. Tottenham Hotspur, a member of the Southern League, had just taken a 2–1 lead when Sheffield's Walter Bennett got a controversial goal to tie the game. Referee Arthur Kingscott ruled that a save by Spur's George Clawley was over the goal line. There was no scoring in the second half, and the 2–2 tie forced a replay for the following Saturday.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_1901#April_20,_1901_(Saturday)
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Let's hope the K218bians don't make the same crazy mistake and ruin their own game, eh? |  |
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:36 - Apr 17 with 3424 views | ThisIsMyUsername |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:34 - Apr 17 by Guthrum |
Everything we see actually happened 124 years ago.
And that's really quite close, in astronomical terms. |
Crazy to think that you could look at Earth from certain points in the universe and watch the D-Day landings take place, or the dinosaurs running around. | |
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:45 - Apr 17 with 3310 views | Benters |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:24 - Apr 17 by blueasfook |
If they were able to read TWTD from there, they'd probably conclude that there was no intelligent life. |
Boom 😂✅ |  |
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:46 - Apr 17 with 3308 views | Guthrum |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:36 - Apr 17 by ThisIsMyUsername |
Crazy to think that you could look at Earth from certain points in the universe and watch the D-Day landings take place, or the dinosaurs running around. |
Effectively, yes. Altho you'd need to travel faster than the speed of light to get out there before the light from those events did. | |
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:50 - Apr 17 with 3263 views | SimonBatfordITFC |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:35 - Apr 17 by NthQldITFC |
Good timing: At 124LY away, the inhabitants have got just three days to wait before they see the event that precipitated the crazy invention of the dreaded VAR some hundred and twenty odd years later on Earth...
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April 20, 1901 (Saturday)
The finals of England's Football Association Cup took place before a record crowd of 114,815 spectators at London's Crystal Palace outdoor stadium. Tottenham Hotspur, a member of the Southern League, had just taken a 2–1 lead when Sheffield's Walter Bennett got a controversial goal to tie the game. Referee Arthur Kingscott ruled that a save by Spur's George Clawley was over the goal line. There was no scoring in the second half, and the 2–2 tie forced a replay for the following Saturday.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_1901#April_20,_1901_(Saturday)
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Let's hope the K218bians don't make the same crazy mistake and ruin their own game, eh? |
VAR isn’t used for goal line decisions. | | | |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:51 - Apr 17 with 3251 views | Benters |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:34 - Apr 17 by MattinLondon |
Stop the spaceships. Hate preacher Farage is currently up to the skies with his Fisher Price telescope demanding action. |
😂👍 | |
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:55 - Apr 17 with 3239 views | Portwoman |
I'd far rather the money was spent cleaning up the oceans. | | | |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:57 - Apr 17 with 3232 views | StokieBlue |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:55 - Apr 17 by Portwoman |
I'd far rather the money was spent cleaning up the oceans. |
Why can't we do both?
The JWST is a fantastic scientific instrument which has already yielded some superb science. It's very odd to say we shouldn't persist in scientific endeavour just because something else needs doing as well.
SB | | | |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 09:04 - Apr 17 with 3198 views | StokieBlue |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:14 - Apr 17 by MattinLondon |
This is probably a silly question - but if we were all on K2-18 b and the James Webb was pointing at Earth. Would scientists be 100% convinced that there was life on this planet? |
Not a silly question at all.
The answer is that you can never be 100% convinced by a biosignature because there may be processes existent in the universe that we are unaware of that can produce a similar signature without life. We can of course have reasonable confidence that certain chemicals are produced by life but never certainty.
Earth is a bit different as they could possibly detect the carbon 14 from nuclear testing in the atmosphere but that is quite short-lived so they would have to be looking at the exact right time. It's not to the same level but even then there are natural nuclear fission reactors, one even exists on Earth [1].
Realistically what scientists are hoping for is a techno-signature [2] rather than a biosignature. This would be something that absolutely is intelligent in origin, this could be a radio signal or something more massive like a Dyson Sphere [3]. Efforts are underway to search for these signatures as well as biosignatures.
Todays announcement is promising though, in the absence of a known natural process that produces these chemicals it's not unreasonable to say there is a good probability that it could be life.
SB
[1]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklo
[2]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technosignature#:~:text=Technosignature%20or%20tec
[3]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyson_sphere | | | |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 09:09 - Apr 17 with 3182 views | StokieBlue |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:32 - Apr 17 by ThisIsMyUsername |
124 LY away. That distance...
Speed of light = 186,282 miles per second.
124 LY = the distance light travels in 124 years.
Impossible to get your head around such distances. |
The distances are quite mind-blowing. I took this picture of Messier 101 (Pinwheel Galaxy) in March - this is actually how it looked 21,000,000 years ago.
You can click for a slightly larger version.
SB | | | |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 09:19 - Apr 17 with 3077 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 09:09 - Apr 17 by StokieBlue |
The distances are quite mind-blowing. I took this picture of Messier 101 (Pinwheel Galaxy) in March - this is actually how it looked 21,000,000 years ago.
You can click for a slightly larger version.
SB |
Now you're just being silly, God isn't that old. |  |
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 09:48 - Apr 17 with 2939 views | Whos_blue |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:32 - Apr 17 by ThisIsMyUsername |
124 LY away. That distance...
Speed of light = 186,282 miles per second.
124 LY = the distance light travels in 124 years.
Impossible to get your head around such distances. |
And just for some more mind boggling context, 124 light years is 700 TRILLION miles!!!!!
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| Distortion becomes somehow pure in its wildness. |
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| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 09:50 - Apr 17 with 2927 views | cressi |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:35 - Apr 17 by blueasfook |
And as we don't currently have the technology to travel at anything approaching the speed of light, in reality would likely take hundreds of thousands of years to get there. Next adventure for Katy Perry maybe? |
At least nobody would have to listen to her. | | | |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 09:59 - Apr 17 with 2900 views | StokieBlue |
| Scientists find possible biosignatures on an extrasolar planet 124 LY away on 08:35 - Apr 17 by blueasfook |
And as we don't currently have the technology to travel at anything approaching the speed of light, in reality would likely take hundreds of thousands of years to get there. Next adventure for Katy Perry maybe? |
You're right that we don't have the technology to move anything big at any reasonable speed but there are theoretical designs using lasers and sails which could achieve 20% to 30% the speed of light with a micro-sized probe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakthrough_Starshot
Obviously not feasible for something that is 124 LY away though, especially given any data such a probe captured would take 124 years to get back to Earth. It's possibly viable for Alpha Centauri though.
SB | | | |
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