Is there any for life outside Earth?
This is a long-discussed question and astronauts are very eager to learn this. Many
expeditions and probes have thus been sent to so many other planers in our solar system, in search of a life of habitable conditions. Finally, now we have an answer to all these questions. Water droplets in the form of water vapors have been detected in an exoplanet
besides our Earth.
The Phenomenal discovery
A planet named K2-18b, also known as ‘super earth', but is not a part of our solar
system, has proved to have evidence and presence of water vapors in its atmosphere. This is a major discovery made by the astronomers of University College London. This makes it the most habitable exoplanet, which is 110 light-years away from the Earth.
K2-18b is twice the size of Earth and revolves around their star, which is half the size of our Sun. Having evidence of water proves that the temperature that prevails there, supports water too be present, which is a good sign of life.
Scientists Find Water Vapour on the Most Habitable Exoplanet yet
What is to follow ahead
Now, with such a discovery, there is bound to rise further studies as to how much
water is there, when and how was the planet was formed, what kind of surface it
has its evolution and much more.
The next big question that the astronomers face ahead is the percentage of water
present. Whether it has only hydrogen and water, or hydrogen along with nitrogen and water is the next big thing to be learned now.
This discovery was made through the Hubble Space Telescope. It is the largest astronomical telescope on this planet. When seen through it, and the other planets, as well as exoplanets, pass close to the earth, their atmospheric molecules absorb light. These lights then produce different wavelengths and colors which are then analyzed to study the presence of various elements present
in those planets.
