Webb Telescope Finds Carbon Dioxide, Methane on Planet 120 Light-Years Away

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered methane and carbon dioxide molecules on a a world eight times heavier than Earth, and orbiting a star 120 light years away, the US space agency announced in a release.

"A new investigation with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope into K2-18 b, an exo-planet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, has revealed the presence of carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide," the Monday release said.

Webb’s discovery adds to recent studies suggesting that K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet, one which has the potential to possess a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean-covered surface, the release said.

K2-18 b orbits the cool dwarf star K2-18 in the habitable zone and lies 120 light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo, the release said.

"Exoplanets such as K2-18 b ... are poorly understood, and the nature of their atmospheres is a matter of active debate among astronomers," the release added.

The suggestion that the sub-Neptune K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet is intriguing, as some astronomers believe that these worlds are promising environments to search for evidence for life on exoplanets, according to the release.