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It is the first time astronomers have detected the possibility of DMS in a planet orbiting a distant star. ''If confirmed, it would be a huge deal and I feel a responsibility to get this right if we are making such a big claim.'' Cautionīut Madhusudhan described the detection of DMS as tentative and said that more data would be needed to confirm its presence. The bulk of it in Earth's atmosphere is emitted from phytoplankton in marine environments,' he said. Professor Nikku Madhusudhan, of the University of Cambridge, who led the research, told BBC News that his entire team were ''shocked'' when they saw the results.

Researchers have also detected methane and carbon dioxide in the planet's atmosphere.ĭetection of these gases could mean the planet, named K2-18b, has a water ocean. The researchers stress that the detection on the planet 120 light years away is 'not robust' and more data is needed to confirm its presence. On Earth, at least, this is only produced by life. It may have detected a molecule called dimethyl sulphide (DMS). Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope may have discovered tentative evidence of a sign of life on a faraway planet.

A handout artist's impression released on 11 September 2019, by ESA/Hubble, shows the K2-18b super-Earth, the only super-Earth exoplanet known to host both water and temperatures that could support life.

Best telescope for viewing planets reddit