Does the James Webb Space Telescope hold the key to life on other planets? Read on to find out more

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is gearing up for a groundbreaking observation campaign aimed at unravelling the mysteries of extraterrestrial life. According to a report by The Times, the telescope is set to focus its gaze on K2-18b, a distant exoplanet orbiting a red dwarf star located 124 light-years away.

K2-18b has piqued the interest of scientists due to its potential habitability, believed to be a world dominated by vast oceans and boasting a size 2.6 times larger than Earth.Of particular intrigue is the presence of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) in its atmosphere, a gas deemed by NASA to be "uniquely produced by life," notably marine phytoplankton.

While the detection of DMS in K2-18b's atmosphere would mark a groundbreaking discovery, Dr. Nikku Madhusudhan, the study's lead astrophysicist from Cambridge, advises exercising caution against premature conclusions. Although initial data from JWST suggests a probability of over 50% for DMS presence, further analysis is imperative. The telescope is slated for an eight-hour observation session this Friday, with extensive data processing required before arriving at a definitive conclusion.

The vast distance to K2-18b poses a significant technological challenge, with a probe travelling at the speed of the Voyager spacecraft (38,000 mph) requiring a staggering 2.2 million years to reach the planet. Nevertheless, the JWST's ability to analyse a planet's atmosphere's chemical composition through spectral analysis of starlight passing through its clouds offers a promising outlook on the potential for life beyond Earth. This mission could potentially provide an answer to the age-old question of whether life exists elsewhere in the universe.

The forthcoming observations also seek to elucidate the presence of methane and carbon dioxide in K2-18b's atmosphere, potentially resolving the long-standing "missing methane problem" that has perplexed scientists for over a decade. While theoretical work on non-biological sources for these gases continues, definitive conclusions are anticipated within the next four to six months.