Webb telescope probably didn't find life on an exoplanet -- yet

Recent reports of NASA 's James Webb Space Telescope finding signs of life on a distant planet understandably sparked excitement. A new study challenges this finding, but also outlines how the telescope might verify the presence of the life-produced gas.

In 2023 there were tantalizing reports of a biosignature gas in the atmosphere of planet K2-18b, which seemed to have several conditions that would make life possible. K2-18b's atmosphere is mainly hydrogen, unlike our nitrogen-based atmosphere. But there was speculation that K2-18b has water oceans, like Earth. That makes K2-18b a potentially"Hycean" world, which means a combination of a hydrogen atmosphere and water oceans.

Because the telescope data were inconclusive, the UCR researchers wanted to understand whether enough DMS could accumulate to detectable levels on K2-18b, which is about 120 light years away from Earth. As with any planet that far away, obtaining physical samples of atmospheric chemicals is impossible.

However, the researchers believe it is possible for DMS to accumulate to detectable levels. For that to happen, plankton or some other life form would have to produce 20 times more DMS than is present on Earth. Given the complexities of searching far-flung planets for signs of life, some wonder about the researchers continued motivations.

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