Scientists may be getting closer than ever to answering the question of whether we are alone in the universe.
According to The New York Times, a team of astronomers now claims to have found the strongest indication yet for extraterrestrial life.
The location in question is a giant planet known as K2-18b, which orbits a star 120 light-years away.
Repeated analyses of the planet’s atmosphere have found a high concentration of a molecule that, on Earth, is produced exclusively by living organisms like marine algae.
Astronomers say they’ve found the strongest evidence yet for life beyond our solar system — on exoplanet K2-18b
• 124 light years away in the habitable zone of its star
• Detected potential biosignatures that are typically produced by life on Earth
• More data is… pic.twitter.com/b6OvGLmgjR
— Latest in space (@latestinspace) April 17, 2025
“It is in no one’s interest to claim prematurely that we have detected life,” said Nikku Madhusudhan, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge whose team has researched K2-18b, at a news conference on Tuesday.
However, his team of researchers believes the best explanation for their findings is that K2-18b is covered with a warm ocean, brimming with life.
“This is a revolutionary moment,” he continued. “It’s the first time humanity has seen potential biosignatures on a habitable planet.”
The findings were published Wednesday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
While other scientists described the study as an exciting and intriguing starting point for understanding K2-18b, they cautioned against jumping to conclusions.
“It’s not nothing,” said Stephen Schmidt, a planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins University.
“It’s a hint,” he added. “But we cannot conclude it’s habitable yet.”
No big deal, just a possible sign of life on another planet: “A repeated analysis of the exoplanet’s atmosphere suggests an abundance of a molecule that on Earth has only one known source: living organisms such as marine algae.” https://t.co/V1Md2VmHzT pic.twitter.com/ydkaMBSrEN
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) April 17, 2025
Over the years, scientists have explored the possibility of life beyond Earth by studying planets and moons in our solar system—like Mars and Europa—for signs of water or conditions that could support life.
Space probes, rovers, and telescopes have all played a role in gathering this data.
Beyond our solar system, astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets, some in the “habitable zone” where liquid water might exist.
This involves analyzing these planets’ atmospheres for gases like oxygen or methane, substances typically produced by living organisms on Earth.
Meanwhile, new technologies like the James Webb Space Telescope now allow deeper, more precise searches for chemical signs of biology.
The search continues — but this could be the closest humanity has ever come.
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