Nasa has found signs of life in the universe – 120 light years away.
Now scientists predict that a “radical change” in human understanding of extraterrestrial life is approaching.
– It has been obvious to many that we cannot be the only intelligent life out there, says astronomer Catherine Heymans.
A few weeks ago, Nasa announced that through the James Webb space telescope it had discovered something that could be signs of life on a planet outside our solar system.
On a planet called K2-18b, scientists have seen signs of a gas produced only by simple marine organisms. The planet is 120 light years away and is now being further investigated by the scientists.
“Major change” within five years
Professor Nikku Madhusudhan at Cambridge is leading the study and told the BBC that further answers about the existence of the gas are expected within a year. If it turns out that the gas is actually on K2-18b, it would “radically change the way we think about the search for life”, according to the professor.
According to him, within five years there will be “a big change” in man’s understanding of life in the universe.
K2-18b is located in what is known as the “Goldilocks Zone”, where the distance between the planet and the star means that the temperature is just right for liquid water to exist, which is the basis for life.
The planet is the first of eleven “Goldlock” planets to be investigated by the scientists.
– If we find signs of life on the very first planet we study, it will increase the probability that life is common in the universe, says Nikku Madhusudhan.
The Professor: “Revolution”
Subhajit Sarker at Cardiff University is also involved in the study of K2-18b. The professor says it would be a scientific breakthrough to find life on the planet.
– If we find signs of life, it will be a revolution in science, and it will also be a big change in how humanity sees itself and its place in the universe.
The British channel has also spoken to honorary astronomer and professor Catherine Heymans, who says that the chance of extraterrestrial life is high.
– We live in an infinite universe, with an infinite number of stars and planets. It has been obvious to many that we cannot be the only intelligent life out there, she says.
– We now have the technology and the ability to answer the question of whether we are alone in the cosmos.