Astronomers have identified potential signs of life on K2-18b, a distant exoplanet 124 light-years away, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

The discovery centers on detecting dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and possibly dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) in its atmosphere—compounds on Earth primarily produced by marine phytoplankton and bacteria.

Nikku Madhusudhan, professor of astrophysics and exoplanetary science at the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy, and his colleagues believe K2-18b, located 124 light-years from Earth, is a Hycean world, or a potentially habitable planet entirely covered in liquid water with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.

“Given everything we know about this planet, a Hycean world with an ocean that is teeming with life is the scenario that best fits the data we have,” he said...