File:Webb Discovers Methane, Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere of Exoplanet K2-18 b (Artist Illustration) (53179463277).png
Original file (3,840 × 2,160 pixels, file size: 10.19 MB, MIME type: image/png)
Captions
Summary
[edit]DescriptionWebb Discovers Methane, Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere of Exoplanet K2-18 b (Artist Illustration) (53179463277).png |
English: The James Webb Space Telescope has detected carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18 b, a potentially habitable world 8.6 times as massive as Earth. An abundance of carbon dioxide and methane (along with a shortage of ammonia) is intriguing to astronomers: It supports the idea that this planet may have a water ocean underneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.
Webb also hinted at a detection of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) on K2-18 b. On Earth, this molecule is only produced by microbial life. Because the detection needs to be confirmed, the team plans to follow up and look for additional evidence of biological activity on the planet. K2-18 b orbits the cool dwarf star K2-18 in the habitable zone (where conditions are right for liquid water to exist) and lies about 120 light-years from Earth. While K2-18 b is in the habitable zone, that does not necessarily mean it can support life. For instance, it may have a hostile environment due to its active star. Its ocean may also be too hot to be habitable. More: www.nasa.gov/goddard/2023/webb-discovers-methane-carbon-d... This illustration shows what exoplanet K2-18 b could look like based on science data. The exoplanet K2-18 c is shown between K2-18 b and its star. Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI), Joseph Olmsted (STScI). Science: Nikku Madhusudhan (IoA) Image description: Artist illustration (as labeled in the upper left corner) of a planet and its cool red dwarf star. In the foreground on the right is the planet, which fills most of the frame. The planet is various shades of blue, with wisps of white scattered throughout. The left edge of the planet (the side facing the star) is lit, while the rest is in shadow. In the background at the lower left is the star, which appears smaller. The star has a bright red glow. Also in the background is another planet, which appears as a small crescent. The black background of space is speckled with a few small stars. |
Date | Taken on 11 September 2023, 10:08:22 |
Source | Webb Discovers Methane, Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere of Exoplanet K2-18 b (Artist Illustration) |
Author | James Webb Space Telescope |
Flickr tags InfoField | nasa; astrobiology; webb; exoplanet; telescope; space; jwst |
Licensing
[edit]- You are free:
- to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work
- to remix – to adapt the work
- Under the following conditions:
- attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
This image was originally posted to Flickr by James Webb Space Telescope at https://flickr.com/photos/50785054@N03/53179463277. It was reviewed on 13 September 2023 by FlickreviewR 2 and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0. |
13 September 2023
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse |
This file is in the public domain in the United States because it was solely created by NASA. NASA copyright policy states that "NASA material is not protected by copyright unless noted". (See Template:PD-USGov, NASA copyright policy page or JPL Image Use Policy.) | ||
Warnings:
|
File history
Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time.
Date/Time | Thumbnail | Dimensions | User | Comment | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
current | 00:11, 13 September 2023 | 3,840 × 2,160 (10.19 MB) | OptimusPrimeBot (talk | contribs) | #Spacemedia - Upload of https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53179463277_811e7994c0_o.png via Commons:Spacemedia |
You cannot overwrite this file.
File usage on Commons
There are no pages that use this file.