An exoplanet has been found by NASA which is ‘8.6 times’ as big as Earth with a gas present that’s produced mainly by life.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope was launched on 25 2021 on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana in South America and last year, it made a very exciting discovery.

The planet

An exoplanet called K2-18 b – also known as EPIC 201912552 b – orbits the red dwarf K2-18 in what NASA says is a ‘habitable zone’.

It’s located 124 light years away from earth and is around 2.6 times the radius of Earth and 8.6 times the mass of Earth.

It was first discovered by NASA’s Kepler space telescope which launched in 2009, however, during the Webb Telescope’s mission, the planet’s atmosphere was looked into more closely.

The findings

Last year, it was discovered K2-18b has a ‘presence of carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide’ – NASA revealed.

The discovery built on top of previous findings which suggested the planet could be a ‘Hycean exoplanet’ which is ‘one which has the potential to possess a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean-covered surface’.

“These initial Webb observations also provided a possible detection of a molecule called dimethyl sulfide (DMS),” NASA added.

But does this actually mean there’s life on the planet?

Atmosphere on exoplanet K2-18 b (NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI), Joseph Olmsted (STScI))

Signs of life?

Well, NASA explains: “The abundance of methane and carbon dioxide, and shortage of ammonia, support the hypothesis that there may be a water ocean underneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere in K2-18 b.

“These initial Webb observations also provided a possible detection of a molecule called dimethyl sulfide (DMS). On Earth, this is only produced by life. The bulk of the DMS in Earth’s atmosphere is emitted from phytoplankton in marine environments.”

However, NASA also notes the planet’s large size could indicate it isn’t habitable to life forms as the planet’s ‘interior likely contains a large mantle of high-pressure ice’ or it’s possible its ocean is ‘too hot to be habitable or liquid’.

Does the presence of the gases mean there’s life on the planet? (Getty Stock Images/ David Wall)

What’s next?

University of Cambridge astronomer Nikku Madhusudhan said: “Our findings underscore the importance of considering diverse habitable environments in the search for life elsewhere.

“Traditionally, the search for life on exoplanets has focused primarily on smaller rocky planets, but the larger Hycean worlds are significantly more conducive to atmospheric observations.”

On Friday (26 April), the Webb telescope fully turned its attention towards K2-18b in a bid to further investigate the signs of potential life, observing the planet for eight hours, The Times reported.

Madhusudhan resolved: “Upcoming Webb observations should be able to confirm if DMS is indeed present in the atmosphere of K2-18 b at significant levels.

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

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has shared updates for the ‘next five asteroid approaches’.

While NASA figures out how to bring a $10 quintillion asteroid back to Earth, several others are set to fly by and there’s one which is set to approach tonight (December 23).

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s California Institute of Technology’s ‘Asteroid Watch’ details the ‘next five asteroid approaches’ to Earth.

A space rock – titled 2024 XN1 – the size of an airplane, roughly 120 feet big, is set to reach its closest point to Earth at around 10pm EST tonight.

The MailOnline reports the asteroid will go past Earth at a speed of a whopping 14,743 mph.

However, you don’t need to be worrying anytime soon.

The closest Earth approach – how close it will come to our planet – measures 4,480,000 miles.

Astronomer at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, Jess Lee, told MailOnline: “It will be very far away, around 18 times further away from the Earth than the Moon is, and so with this predicted path won’t come close enough to hit the Earth.”

And assistant professor of space and international relations at Johns Hopkins University explained to Newsweek the reason these types of asteroids and comets are called ‘near-Earth objects of NEOS’ is when they have ‘a perihelion distance (closest to the Sun) less than 1.3 astronomical units (AU), or approximately 120 million miles’.

It only becomes potentially hazardous if the asteroid ‘has an orbit intersecting the Earth’s orbit around the Sun by less than 0.05 astronomical units (1 AU is the distance to the Sun), that’s just over 4.5 million miles,’ professor of astrophysics and space science at the University of Leicester Martin Barstow told Newsweek.

And in order to cause any ‘significant regional damage’ to Earth if it did hit, an asteroid would also have to have ‘an absolute brightness of 22.0 or less’.

“Not all NEOs are potentially hazardous, but all hazardous objects are NEOs.”

But if you miss the one tonight, fear not because there are plenty more coming up.

It won’t harm Earth (Getty Stock Image)

An asteroid the size of a bus is expected to fly by Earth on Christmas Day, another the size of an airplane is expected on Boxing Day and a second the size of a bus will be making a fly by the day after that.

NASA has discovered an unbelievable new planet that’s said to be like a ‘super-Earth’ which can ‘harbour life’.

While advancements in space technology continue to see us reach extraordinary heights, there is an awful lot we still don’t know about it.

I think as humans we have always been fascinated as to whether we are alone or whether there is extraterrestrial life out there somewhere.

While no studies so far have provided definite answers, a recent one may just answer questions that have tormented many a generation.

Using NASA’s much talked about James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of scientists looked into the atmosphere of an exoplanet called LHS 1140 b.

The planet is not necessarily new though, as it was first discovered back in 2017, with scientists finding out at the time it to be six times the mass of Earth.

Experts also discovered the planet could have an ocean of liquid water and even a nitrogen-rich atmosphere – something which provides even more similarities to Earth.

Lead author Charles Cadieux, from Université de Montréal, quipped: “Of all currently known temperate exoplanets, LHS 1140 b could well be our best bet to one day indirectly confirm liquid water on the surface of an alien world beyond our solar system.

“This would be a major milestone in the search for potentially habitable exoplanets.”

There is one thing that has stumped scientists over the years and that is why the exoplanet is significantly less massive than an object of its size should be.

So, experts had two conclusions as to why it didn’t add up: that either the planet was a ‘mini-neptune’ made mostly of swirling gas, or even a ‘mega-Earth’ covered in liquid or frozen water.

An image depicting exoplanet LHS 1140 b. (NASA)

NASA boffins had a puzzle to solve, so combined data from the JWST and other space telescopes like Hubble and Spitzer for their findings.

And their analysis suggested that LHS 1140 b is much more likely to be a ‘water world’ or ‘snowball’ with a rocky core rather than the mini-neptune.

Further investigation has revealed ever more similarities to Earth, including the possibility the planet might have a thick atmosphere just like the one here on Earth.

Professor René Doyon, who supervised the study, said: “The current hint of a nitrogen-rich atmosphere begs for confirmation with more data.

“We need at least one more year of observations to confirm that LHS 1140 b has an atmosphere, and likely two or three more to detect carbon dioxide.”