Researchers have detected, for the first time, gases on another planet that — here on Earth — only arise because of living beings.

The discovery was made with the world's most advanced space telescope : o James Webb.

🔭 The telescope that made this possible

James Webb was launched in 2021 by NASA. It is the most powerful instrument we have ever sent into space.

He sees the universe with unprecedented precision — and now he has produced the most promising data in the history of astrobiology.

🌍 The planet that entered the radar: K2-18 b

Located 124 light years from Earth, it is 2.6 times larger than our planet.

Orbiting a small, cool star, it lies in a region called the habitable zone — where conditions allow liquid water on the surface.

🌊 A candidate for an ocean planet

Scientists hypothesize that K2-18 b is a planet covered by a liquid ocean, with an atmosphere rich in hydrogen.

An environment reminiscent of primitive Earth, where microbial life began to appear.

🧪 The gases that triggered the alert

In the planet's atmosphere, the following were found: •Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) •Dimethyl disulfide (DMDS)

Here on Earth, these gases are produced exclusively by living organisms, such as marine phytoplankton.

📈 Data too strong to ignore

These gases were detected in concentrations thousands of times greater than on Earth.

And the analysis has 99.7% statistical confidence — that is, only a 0.3% chance of the signal being the result of chance.

With what science knows today, there is no non-biological explanation for this.

⚠️ It's not a confirmation of life yet — but it's the closest we've come

The study talks about biosignature: a possible trace of biological activity.

It's the kind of signal scientists have always dreamed of finding on exoplanets. Now it's here, published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

🧬 What kind of life could it be?

No intelligent aliens. The bet is on simple microbial life, similar to that of Earth's primitive oceans.

Still, it would be the first form of life identified outside the solar system.

What makes this discovery unique

More than 5,800 exoplanets have already been cataloged.

But this is the first time that carbon-based molecules — essential for life — have been detected in the atmosphere of a habitable planet.

It's a game changer.

🛰️ The search for life has become data science

The study author summarized:

“We have entered the era of observational astrobiology.”

The search for life is no longer just philosophy or science fiction. It is now spectroscopy, statistics and scientific inference.

And the frontier of the unknown has just receded.