Did Scientists Just Discover Alien Life? | K2-18b Explained | James Webb Space Telescope

4/25/2025

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Did Scientists Just Discover Alien Life? | K2-18b Explained | James Webb Space Telescope

Scientists may have just found the first signs of life beyond Earth! In this video, we explore the recent discovery made by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope on the exoplanet K2-18b.

K2-18b, located over 120 light-years away, has shown signs of dimethyl sulfide (DMS)—a chemical associated only with biological life here on Earth. Could this be the first real evidence of alien life?

Watch as we break down what this discovery means, how it was found, and what it could mean for humanity’s place in the universe.

Topics covered in this video:
1) What is K2-18b?
2) What did the James Webb Telescope discover?
3) Could we really have found alien life?
4) What happens next in space exploration?

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Transcript

00:00Did we just find life on another planet? Are we alone in the universe? Maybe not

00:08for long. Scientists might have just uncovered one of the most exciting

00:14discoveries in the history of space exploration. An exoplanet named K2 18b

00:22is showing signs that life, yes actual biological life, could exist beyond

00:28Earth. K2 18b the exoplanet that's got everyone talking. What is K2 18b? K2 18b is a

00:41planet located about 120 light years away from Earth in the Leo constellation.

00:48It's an exoplanet meaning it orbits a star outside our solar system and it's

00:55what's called a Hygiene World, a planet with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and

01:00possibly a water-covered surface. It's much larger than Earth, about 2.6 times its

01:08radius and more than 8 times its mass. But what makes K2 18b special isn't just

01:13its size, it's the fact that it lies in the hatch habitable zone of its star where

01:19temperatures might allow for liquid water to exist. The big discovery, a chemical only

01:25light produces on Earth. Signs of life. In September 2023, NASA's James Webb Space

01:34Telescope made a groundbreaking observation. It found traces of dimethyl sulfide or DMS in the atmosphere of K2 18b.

01:46Why is this a big deal? Because here on Earth, DMS is only produced by living organism,

01:52mostly by Mary Anton. There is no one way for this chemical to exist without life.

02:01How scientists detected it? The role of the James Webb Space Telescope. The James Webb

02:09Telescope studied K2 18b's atmosphere by looking at how starlight

02:15from its host, star passed through it. This slide carries what scientists call a

02:22spectroscope signature, a kind of chemical fingerprint. Through this analysis,

02:29researchers also detected methane and carbon dioxide, both key compounds associated with life-friendly

02:38conditions. All science pointed to a watery hydrogen-rich world that could potentially support biology.

02:46What exactly is a hydrogen world? A whole new kind of planet.

02:52Hygiene planets are still new to science. They are thought to have lost oceans beneath thick hydrogen.

02:59Atmosphere, while their surface conditions may be extreme, life might survive in the oceans beneath,

03:08protected from tradition and harsh temperatures. K2 18b might be the best

03:14candidate we have ever found for such a planet. Could it really be life or something else?

03:21It's important to remember this is not confirmation of alien life. Yet while the presence of DMS is

03:32promising, scientists can't completely rule out non-biological sources just yet. There could be exotic

03:42chemical processes at play that we don't fully understand. More data is needed, more observations,

03:51and more testing. What happens next? This is a question. Next steps in the research or search for life.

04:01NASA and other space agencies will continue studying K2 18. Future telescope missions will

04:08focus on detecting other biosignatures, chemicals that can only be made by living things. If these

04:16findings are confirmed, it will mark the first time in history that we have found actual signs of life

04:24beyond Earth. Why this matters for us? Why you should care? So, this discovery could change everything.

04:37Not just our understanding of science, but our view of ourselves in the universe.

04:47What if we are not alone? What if life is common out there? Are we ready for the truth? And what kind

04:54of life might it be? Microbes? Sea creatures? Something we can't even imagine.

05:00So, subscribe for mere space discoveries. See you in the next video. Take care of yourself. And if this

05:15believe your mind, like it didn't mind, give this video a thumbs up and hit that subscribe button.

05:22I will keep you updated with the latest space discoveries, science updates and all things cosmic.

05:29Drop a comment below. Do you think we have finally found the life beyond Earth?

Did Scientists Just Discover Alien Life? | K2-18b Explained | James Webb Space Telescope

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