Syllabus :GS 3/Space
In News
- NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in its study of K2-18 b discovered the presence of carbon dioxide and methane.
About K2-18 b
- K2-18 b is a super Earth exoplanet that orbits an M-type star.
- It is 120 light years from earth and orbits the cool dwarf star K2-18 a.
- It is 8.6 times as massive as Earth and the size lies that of between earth and Neptune.
- Its discovery was announced in 2015.
Discoveries
- The observations of James Webb also provided a possible detection of a molecule called dimethyl sulfide (DMS).
- On Earth, DMS is only produced by life.
- The bulk of the DMS in Earth’s atmosphere is emitted from phytoplankton in marine environments.
- On Earth, DMS is only produced by life.
- Planet k2-18b is within the “habitable zone” of its star, that is conditions are just right – neither too hot nor too cold – for life to exist.
- Webb’s discovery adds to recent studies suggesting that K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet, one which has the potential to possess a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean-covered surface.
Future Outlook
- NASA now intends to conduct follow-up research with the telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) spectrograph that they hope will further validate their findings and provide new insights into the environmental conditions on K2-18 b.
| What is an exoplanet? – An exoplanet is any planet beyond our solar system. – All of the planets in our solar system orbit around the Sun. Planets that orbit around other stars are called exoplanets. – Exoplanets are very hard to see directly with telescopes. They are hidden by the bright glare of the stars they orbit. |
Source: News on air
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