#LunchWithDoug the Community Follower

In the vast expanse of the cosmos, one exoplanet has captured the curiosity of astronomers and space enthusiasts alike— K2-18b . Discovered in 2015 by the Kepler Space Telescope , this fascinating world orbits the red dwarf star K2-18 , located 124 light-years away in the Leo constellation . What sets it apart? Its potential to support life. A Sub-Neptune with an Atmosphere K2-18b falls into the category of sub-Neptunes , meaning it is significantly larger than Earth, with a radius 2.6 times that of our planet and a mass 8.6 times Earth’s . Its thick atmosphere contains water vapor, methane, and carbon dioxide , leading scientists to speculate that it may be a Hycean world —one with a global ocean beneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. Could It Harbor Life? One of the most intriguing findings linked to K2-18b is the possible presence of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) , a molecule that, on Earth, is primarily produced by biological activity. While this discovery hints at the possibility of life ...