A question everyone has stayed up in bed thinking about, no matter what age, or period, has been answered. Are aliens real? Scientists have strived to answer this question for decades. The search for aliens has been met with radio waves sent into space, and robots have been sent to planets and moons in our solar system to discover microorganisms living in oceans or clouds. However, the most efficient way has been through telescopes. More specifically, the James Webb telescope.

The James Webb telescope has made many discoveries, but there has been one that stands above all. The James Webb telescope discovered a hyecan exoplanet 8 times the size of Earth on March 18, 2023, in the habitable zone. A “hycean” planet is a combination of the words “hydrogen” and "ocean,", as the planet is covered in an ocean with an atmosphere abundant in hydrogen. This planet, K2-18 b had been carefully monitored, as all planets in the habitable zone are.

The telescope has detected methane and carbon dioxide with little ammonia, confirming the existence of an ocean. Another detection of DMS leads researchers to believe there could be life, as phytoplankton, an algae on earth, produces this for our atmosphere. Although scientists are still unsure about this prediction, Scientist Niki Madhusudhan claims, “Upcoming Webb observations should be able to confirm if DMS is indeed present in the atmosphere of K2-18 b at significant levels,”

Although the discovery is exciting, if intelligent life develops, it likely won’t be for a few million years. For now, we can just watch the planet in its early stages of bearing life. Nasa instead views this discovery as the capability of the James Webb telescope and how it will be able to detect life for years to come in the future. We can only hope this is just the beginning of life discoveries made by advancing technology.

Works Cited

NASA. “Webb Discovers Methane, Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere of K2-18 B - NASA.” NASA, 11 Sept. 2023, www.nasa.gov/universe/exoplanets/webb-discovers-methane-carbon-dioxide-in-atmosphere-of-k2-18-b/.

O’Caine, Kaitlin. “NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Observes Planet in a Distant Galaxy That Might Support Life - CBS News.” Www.cbsnews.com, 12 Sept. 2023, www.cbsnews.com/news/nasa-k12-18b-hycean-planet-support-life-james-webb-space-telescope/.