Scientists hail strongest evidence so far for life beyond our solar system
Guardian3 days ago
This revolutionary moment in astronomy provides the strongest evidence yet of potential biological activity beyond Earth. The consistent presence of these biosignature molecules, combined with the planet's location in the habitable zone and previous detection of water vapor, strongly suggests that K2-18b could be an ocean world teeming with microbial life.
These findings remain tentative and require extensive verification by other research groups. The planet could in reality be a massive rock with a magma ocean and scorching hydrogen atmosphere, making it inhospitable to life. Additionally, it's still possible that unknown chemical processes might produce these molecules without biological activity.