“Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI) Could alien life be hiding just 120 light-years away? That’s the question raised by a new study led by Professor Nikku Madhusudhan of the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy. Published on April 16, 2025, in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the research follows observations from NASA’s James”, — write: hollywoodlife.com
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI) Could alien life be hiding just 120 light-years away? That’s the question raised by a new study led by Professor Nikku Madhusudhan of the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy. Published on April 16, 2025, in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the research follows observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which detected key molecules in the atmosphere of K2-18b — an exoplanet orbiting a distant star in the constellation Leo.
Find out more about K2-18b and what these new findings could mean for the search for extraterrestrial life below.
What Is K2-18b? K2-18b is an exoplanet located about 120 light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo. It was discovered in 2015 by NASA’s Kepler mission, which revealed that planets beyond our solar system are so common, they actually outnumber stars.
Roughly between the size of Earth and Neptune, K2-18b orbits within the habitable zone of its star — the region where conditions could allow liquid water to exist. It’s classified as a “Hycean” planet, a relatively new category believed to have hydrogen-rich atmospheres and global oceans, making them strong candidates in the search for extraterrestrial life.
Could There Be Alien Life on K2-18b? Possibly — and scientists are intrigued.
In 2023, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope detected carbon-bearing molecules such as methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of K2-18b, both considered potential indicators of biological processes. More recently, the new study led by Dr. Madhusudhan reported the detection of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) — compounds that, on Earth, are produced exclusively by living organisms like marine phytoplankton.
While the findings are far from confirming alien life, they suggest that K2-18b may have the right ingredients for habitability. “It is in no one’s interest to claim prematurely that we have detected life,” said Dr. Madhusudhan at a press briefing on April 15. Still, he expressed cautious excitement, adding, “These are the first hints we are seeing of an alien world that is possibly inhabited. This is a revolutionary moment. It’s the first time humanity has seen potential biosignatures on a habitable planet.”
Is There Life Elsewhere in the Universe? We don’t know for sure, but the odds are compelling. With billions of galaxies, each containing billions of stars and planets, most scientists believe it’s statistically likely that life exists somewhere beyond Earth.