A major breakthrough in the search for life beyond Earth has been made by an Indian-origin astrophysicist, Dr. Nikku Madhusudhan. His team has found strong evidence that could point to the presence of life on a distant planet called K2-18b, which is located 120 light-years away from Earth.
This discovery is based on the detection of a special molecule called dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which on Earth is only produced by living organisms, especially marine algae.
Dr. Nikku Madhusudhan was born in India in 1980 and did his engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi. He later moved to the US for higher studies and completed his Master’s and Ph.D. in planetary science from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he studied under Dr. Sara Seager, a well-known expert in exoplanet research.
At present, he is a professor at the University of Cambridge and is famous for his work on exoplanets and the search for life outside our solar system. He introduced the idea of “Hycean planets” – worlds that are covered with oceans and have hydrogen-rich atmospheres, which might support life.
The recent discovery by Dr. Madhusudhan’s team came from data collected by the James Webb Space Telescope. They found clear signs of DMS in the atmosphere of K2-18b, along with other gases like methane and carbon dioxide. On Earth, DMS is a byproduct of life, and its presence on another planet is considered a possible sign of biological activity. The team’s findings were published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, and scientists all over the world are calling it one of the strongest pieces of evidence yet for the possibility of alien life.
K2-18b is what scientists call a “sub-Neptune” planet – it is bigger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. It orbits a small and cool star and is believed to be covered with a deep ocean. In 2021, Dr. Madhusudhan had already suggested that such planets could be Hycean worlds. Now, this latest evidence seems to support his theory.
At a recent press conference, Dr. Madhusudhan said, “It is in no one’s interest to claim prematurely that we have detected life. Still, the best explanation for our observations is that K2-18b is covered with a warm ocean, brimming with life.” He also said that this could be a revolutionary moment for humanity, as it is the first time we are seeing signs of life on a planet that could be habitable.
The James Webb Space Telescope will continue to observe K2-18b
