detected a gas that is produced only by living things

A sensational discovery could be ever closer, capable of completely changing our vision of the universe: the demonstration of the presence of life outside the Earth. The planet K2-18b, located 120 light years away in the constellation Leo, would appear to be a very promising candidate when it comes to the search for extraterrestrial biological signs. Although the planet was discovered almost ten years ago, investigations are still underway which could prove truly surprising. In particular, it is the presence of dimethyl sulfidedetected last year, that has sparked excitement among scientists: a gas that is believed to be “produced only by life.”

The planet

Discovered in 2015, K2-18b attracted the attention of the international scientific community especially after 2019, when the presence of water vapor in its atmosphere was detected. Further observations with the James Webb Space Telescope revealed traces of carbon dioxide and methane, but it was the possible presence of dimethyl sulfide that sparked the curiosity and excitement of the international scientific community.

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