The exoplanet is 110 light-years from Earth and was discovered by NASA's Kepler spacecraft in 2015.
For the first time, scientists have discovered water vapor in the atmosphere of a planet beyond our solar system. The 'super-Earth' K2-18b sits within the habitable zone of its host star, meaning it is not too hot or too cold for liquid water to exist. This raises the possibility that it could support alien life.
Now, a team of astronomers from the U.K. has announced the successful detection of water vapor in the exoplanet's atmosphere. Findings are published inAt present, we only have one example of life in the universe—Earth. All living things on our planet need water to survive—so when searching for other planets that may also host life, water is seen as a good potential indicator.
"Finding water in a potentially habitable world other than Earth is incredibly exciting," lead author Angelos Tsiaras, from the U.K.'s University College London, said in a statement."K2-18b is not 'Earth 2.0' as it is significantly heavier and has a different atmospheric composition.
"Our discovery makes K2-18b one of the most interesting targets for future study," Giovanna Tinetti, study co-author and principal investigator for ARIEL, said in a statement."Over 4,000 exoplanets have been detected but we don't know much about their composition and nature. By observing a large sample of planets, we hope to reveal secrets about their chemistry, formation and evolution.
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