In the most conventional science fiction sagas, aliens usually resemble the living beings we know. Many times they are even intelligent and walk on solid planets like ours. However, reality can be stranger. With that hypothesis the astronomer team of Universidad de Cambridge Nikku Madhusudhan This has just announced what, According to himIt is “the strongest test so far” of life outside the earth. Other experts, however, believe that he has not given data to affirm such a thing.
The new world inhabited I would be K2-18BA planet at 120 light years from here similar to Neptune, twice and a half times of the size of the earth, orbit in orbit a distance of its star that would allow it to have a liquid water ocean covered by a hydrogen atmosphere. These worlds believe in Madhusudhan, can be suitable for life. Now, using the Spatial telescope James Webb, It has detected two gases, Dimetil Solfuro or DM and disolfuro of Dimetyl or DMD, which are produced mainly by a microbial life such as the Marino phytoplankton (algae) or bacteria in that exoplane.
“This is a revolutionary moment,” said Madhusudhan in the presentation of the discovery, ensuring that “it is the first time that humanity has seen biophonic potentials in a habitable planet”. Although it recognizes that a lot of work is needed to confirm the discovery of extraterrestrial life, the researcher believes that the best explanation for his observations whether K2-18b is covered by a temperate and alive ocean.
Despite the excitement shown by their statements, other experts show more caution. Ignasi Ribas, director of the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) and the CSIC research professor, believes that it is an “interesting” discovery, but it is long to allow to say that life has been found. “It is a single group advertising, which will have to try to replicate others, it is a very preliminary moment,” he says. The results were published in THE Astrophysical diary lettersa minor scientific magazine. This type of results, the sources consulted coincide, to demonstrate what the expert says, should have been published in a first -order magazine, such as Science or Nature.
As Ribas recalls, this team is conducting research on this exoplanet With previous disputes. In 2019 the presence of water was announced, which in the end ended up being methane and in 2023 they were published Very weak DMS signsA sign that has now been observed with more intensity. “So, shortly after the discovery, the articles that explained the presence of the compound in the atmosphere of the planet through mechanisms other than biological activity and predict that in the coming weeks the same thing that started to be published will begin to occur,” adds Ribas.
Him James Webb It is such a powerful telescope that it is able to analyze the chemical composition of the atmosphere of a planet through the light of the star that crosses it. With that technique, the atmospheres of planets similar to K2-18B are already analyzed in search of more similar signals on similar planets that allow us to conclude that it is not an exotic phenomenon that occurs only in a place. “There are many Mijineptuna And this would increase the number of sites where you can look for life, “says Ribas.
K2-18 B has 8.6 times the mass of the earth and a diameter about 2.6 times greater than that of our planet. Orbit in “Habitable area” – a distance in which liquid water, a key ingredient for life, can exist on the planetary surface – around a smaller and less bright red dwarf star than our sun, in the constellation of Leo. Another planet has also been identified by orbit this star in orbit.
Madhusudhan believes that if there were these worlds covered by water oceans and an atmosphere rich in hydrogen, they could have a microbial life similar to that observed in the oceans of the earth. It is assumed that his oceans are more hot than those of our planet. According to the Reuters agency, when he was asked, in the presentation of this discovery, on the possibility of multicellular organisms or even intelligent life, Madhusudhan said: “We will not be able to answer this question right now. The initial hypothesis is that of a simple microbial life”.
The scientist mixed his enthusiasm with caution. “First of all, we have to repeat the observations two or three times to ensure that the signal we observe is robust and increases the meaning of the detection to the point where the possibilities of a statistical possibility are lower than about a million,” he said. “Secondly, we need more theoretical and experimental studies to determine if there is another abiotic mechanism (which does not involve biological processes) that generates DMS or DMD in a planetary atmosphere such as that of K2-18 B. While the previous studies have suggested them as robust biophonic also for K2-18 b, we must keep the mind open and explore other possibilities,” has ended. The results represent a great uncertainty that the observations are due to the presence of life. “Nobody is interested prematurely that we have detected life,” the scientist warned.
Other experts require even more caution. The study finds a probability of “3 sigma” of biological activity, something that, according to experts, is insufficient: at least it should be 5 sigma. David Clements, an astrophysicist of the Imperial College in London, said to the SMC portal of the United Kingdom: “This is really interesting and, although it does not yet represent a clear detection of the dimetyl sulfuro or dimetyl disolfuro, it is a step in the right direction. To be able to affirm with certainty the existence of this planet, we would need a solid detection, greater than 5 sigma. passes through the biomarator.
For his part, Stephen Burgess, leader of the group at the University of Cambridge (but not of this team), said to the same vehicle: “3 Sigma is a threshold that indicates that the differences observed in the experiment are notable enough to exclude the possibility of randomly launching a passage in a passage for the launch of a passage more severely. Riga and obtaining the same result each time.
What happens with this MininineptunoIn the coming years, thanks to machines such as James WebbExperts believe that there are many possibilities that if there is an extraterrestrial life, their signals reach the earth and are studied by astronomers. But, remember, we are not yet at that point.
