Why in the News?

Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have found signs of possible life on exoplanet K2-18 b by detecting gases usually produced by Earth’s biological processes.

Key findings of the Recent Study:

• Scientists detected significant biosignatures in the atmosphere of K2-18 b, including dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS).
• These gases, on Earth, are primarily produced by marine phytoplankton.
• High concentrations of these gases suggest the possibility of microbial life, particularly in the planet’s oceans.
• However, researchers caution that this is not definitive proof of life but a potential biosignature indicating biological processes.
• Further studies and observations are needed to confirm whether these gases are biologically produced or the result of other processes.

About James Webb Space Telescope (JWST):

• JWST is a joint venture between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) launched in December 2021.
• It is an orbiting infrared observatory that will complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope, with longer wavelength coverage and greatly improved sensitivity.
• Webb was formerly known as the “Next Generation Space Telescope” (NGST), and it was renamed in 2002 after a former NASA administrator, James Webb.
• It isa large infrared telescope with an approximately 6.5-meter primary mirror.
• JWST is positioned at the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point, 5 million km away.
• It consists of a mirror, spanning 6.5 meters in diameter compared to Hubble’s 2.4 meters, and its specialised instruments optimised for infrared observations.
• Key Objectives:
  • JWST observes deeper into the universe than Hubble.
  • Observes celestial objects from earlier epochs.
  • Enables the detection of light from the universe’s earliest stars, dating back over 13.5 billion years.

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