Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Tropical activity brewing near US Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Get details Chevron right
Storms to spark on July 4th in parts of the Plains and Southeast. Click here Chevron right

Columbus, OH

74°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

74°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Astronomy

Planet in ‘habitable’ zone could have rare oceans and a possible sign of life, Webb data reveals

The James Webb Space Telescope investigated a giant planet that could be an ocean world, according to NASA. The exoplanet lies 120 light-years away from Earth.

By Jackie Wattles, CNN

Published Sep 12, 2023 7:04 PM EDT | Updated Sep 12, 2023 7:04 PM EDT

Copied

(CNN) — Waters may be flowing on the surface of a colossal planet that lies about 120 light-years from Earth, according to new evidence uncovered by the James Webb Space Telescope.

The investigation with the space-based observatory, one of the most advanced astronomy instruments in operation, revealed that the exoplanet K2-18b may have some key features of a planet that could support bodies of water — and life.

Closely orbiting the cool dwarf star K2-18, the exoplanet lies within the star’s habitable, or Goldilocks, zone and is 8.6 times as massive as Earth. An analysis of Webb’s observations found the planet has abundant methane and carbon dioxide in its atmosphere.

The presence of these carbon-bearing molecules, along with a scarcity of ammonia, could indicate an atmosphere rich with hydrogen that surrounds an ocean world, according to a NASA news release.

Carbon is considered the building block of life-forms on Earth.

This artist’s concept shows what exoplanet K2-18 b could look like based on science data. K2-18 b, an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, orbits the cool dwarf star K2-18 in the habitable zone and lies 120 light-years from Earth. Illustration: NASA, CSA, ESA, J. Olmsted (STScI), Science: N. Madhusudhan (Cambridge University)

The Hubble Space Telescope initially spotted evidence of water vapor in the exoplanet’s atmosphere. The finding, described in a September 2019 study, helped scientists home in on K2-18b for further study.

The Webb telescope, which can detect infrared light invisible to the human eye, searched for exactly what elements are featured in the planet’s atmosphere.

And the latest observations of the planet also hint that a very special molecule, called dimethyl sulfide, could be present on K2-18b.

On Earth, dimethyl sulfide “is only produced by life,” according to NASA. “The bulk of the DMS in Earth’s atmosphere is emitted from phytoplankton in marine environments.”

No guarantees

Researchers are not outright suggesting that K2-18b is crawling with alien life. Further research is needed to confirm the presence of dimethyl sulfide, said astronomer Nikku Madhusudhan, professor of astrophysics and exoplanetary science at the University of Cambridge, in a statment. Madhusudhan is lead author of a new scientific paper describing the findings that has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

And even if scientists corroborate the chemical compound’s presence, that doesn’t guarantee life-forms exist there.

But this new evidence does expand scientists’ understanding of exoplanets similar to K2-18b.

Hot ocean worlds

The discoveries about its atmospheric composition suggest it could be a “Hycean exoplanet,” a theoretical type of exoplanet that runs hot but is covered in oceans and has a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.

Where there are liquid oceans, there is the potential for life — but researchers still aren’t certain that these Hycean planets could sustain life at all. An August study published in The Astrophysical Journal, for example, suggests they would undergo a crushing greenhouse effect.

There are no confirmed Hycean exoplanets just yet. And there is no planet quite like K2-18b in our own solar system, and that makes planets like it “poorly understood,” according to NASA.

Spectra of K2-18 b, obtained with Webb’s NIRISS (Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph) and NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph), display an abundance of methane and carbon dioxide in the exoplanet’s atmosphere, as well as a possible detection of a molecule called dimethyl sulfide (DMS). NASA, CSA, ESA, R. Crawford (STScI), J. Olmsted (STScI), Science: N. Madhusudhan (Cambridge University)

The “nature of their atmospheres is a matter of active debate among astronomers,” the space agency said in a news release.

But researchers involved in analyzing these recent observations of K2-18b emphasized that continuing to unravel its mysteries is essential.

“Our ultimate goal is the identification of life on a habitable exoplanet, which would transform our understanding of our place in the universe,” Madhusudhan said. “Our findings are a promising step towards a deeper understanding of Hycean worlds in this quest.”

Researchers plan to continue using the Webb telescope to study the distant planet and attempt to further validate the new findings.

“These results are the product of just two observations of K2-18 b, with many more on the way,” said astronomer Savvas Constantinou, a doctoral student of astrophysics at the University of Cambridge who coauthored the latest study, in a statement. “This means our work here is but an early demonstration of what Webb can observe in habitable-zone exoplanets.”

More Space and Astronomy:

Astronaut sets new US record for longest trip in space
How mapping Mars could help us live there
NASA’s mega moon rocket is ‘unaffordable,’ according to new report

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Report a Typo

Weather News

video

Huge dust storm shrouds Las Vegas

Jul. 2, 2025
video

Fallen trees during storm kill Delaware driver

Jul. 2, 2025
video

Towering waterspout hovers near Ohio’s lakeshore

Jul. 2, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather Forecasts

Storms to spark on July 4th in parts of the Plains and Southeast

8 hours ago

Weather News

9-year-old dies in hot car outside mother's Texas workplace

13 hours ago

Weather News

Tropical trouble could stir near Southeast beaches around 4th of July

4 hours ago

Weather News

Alabama teen in ICU after lightning strike hits boat, causing burns an...

12 hours ago

Weather News

Storm chaser stages whirlwind proposal with real tornado

1 day ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Weather News

‘Shark Whisperer’ swims its way into our shark obsession

7 hours ago

Travel

Fourth of July gas hasn’t been this cheap since 2021

1 day ago

Weather News

What makes fireworks burst with vibrant colors?

6 days ago

Health

'Inverse' vaccines may hold key to challenge autoimmune diseases

2 days ago

Weather News

World’s most liveable city for 2025 revealed

1 week ago

AccuWeather Astronomy Planet in ‘habitable’ zone could have rare oceans and a possible sign of life, Webb data reveals
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...