Could K2-18 b be the breakthrough in our search for life beyond Earth? This extraordinary exoplanet, 124 light-years away, lies in the habitable zone and is 2.6 times the size of Earth. Using the James Webb Telescope, NASA detected carbon-bearing molecules like methane, carbon dioxide, and traces of dimethyl sulfide (DMS)—a molecule on Earth only produced by life.
While K2-18 b might hold oceans or high-pressure ice beneath its atmosphere, the question remains: could it support life as we know it? Join us as we unravel this fascinating discovery and explore what it means for the future of space exploration.
Location: London
WooGlobe Ref : WGA774086
For licensing and to use this video, please email licensing@wooglobe.com
While K2-18 b might hold oceans or high-pressure ice beneath its atmosphere, the question remains: could it support life as we know it? Join us as we unravel this fascinating discovery and explore what it means for the future of space exploration.
Location: London
WooGlobe Ref : WGA774086
For licensing and to use this video, please email licensing@wooglobe.com
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00Could this be it?
00:01The discovery that changes everything we know about life beyond Earth?
00:05NASA has found a planet bigger than Earth,
00:08one that holds a gas only produced by life.
00:11Stay tuned as we uncover this mind-blowing revelation.
00:14Meet K218b,
00:16a fascinating exoplanet orbiting a red dwarf star 124 light-years away from Earth.
00:23It's 2.6 times the size of our planet and weighs nearly 9 times as much.
00:28What makes this planet extraordinary is where it lies,
00:31a habitable zone where conditions could allow liquid water to exist.
00:35But here's the kicker.
00:37NASA's James Webb Telescope has detected something remarkable.
00:41The atmosphere of K218b contains carbon-bearing molecules like methane and carbon dioxide,
00:48and even traces of a molecule called dimethyl sulfide, or DMS.
00:53On Earth, DMS is only produced by life,
00:55specifically, phytoplankton in the ocean.
00:58Could this be evidence of life on another planet?
01:01The possibility is tantalizing, but there's a twist.
01:05K218b's size suggests it might not be as hospitable as we hope.
01:09Its interior likely holds high-pressure ice,
01:12or its oceans could be too hot for life as we know it.
01:15Still, the discovery opens new doors in our quest for extraterrestrial life.
01:20Scientists are now focusing the Webb Telescope on K218b
01:25to confirm the presence of DMS and unravel more mysteries about this Haitian world,
01:30a class of planets with hydrogen-rich atmospheres and potential ocean surfaces.
01:35The search for life on exoplanets just got a lot more exciting.
01:39Could K218b hold the secrets to life beyond Earth?
01:42Only time and science will tell.
01:44Stay curious, because the universe is full of surprises.