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James Webb Telescope Smells Something Fishy 124 Light-Years Away

Mr. Stark Season 2 Episode 47

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 Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have found the strongest evidence yet of possible life on exoplanet K2-18b, 124 light-years away in Leo. Led by Dr. Nikku Madhusudhan (University of Cambridge), the team detected dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and possibly dimethyl disulfide (DMDS)—gases on Earth typically produced by marine life. K2-18b, a "Hycean world," is 2.5 times Earth's size and orbits in its star’s habitable zone, suggesting potential for liquid water. While promising, the detection’s 99.7% confidence level falls short of scientific proof. Independent verification and further observations are needed. The findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters

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