Life may exist on a planet close to Earth – a sensational discovery of scientists
Astronomers suggest that extraterrestrial life may exist on a super-Earth relatively close to us called K2-18b. The organic compound found there can only be produced by living organisms, scientists believe.
This was reported by SSPDaily.
Planet K2-18b is considered an ocean planet. It is a rocky planet with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and an ocean of liquid water on the surface. At least that's how astronomers imagine the world, which is 120 light-years away, based on observations.
Such planets are very common in our galaxy. K2-18b is heavier than the Earth by mass, and its diameter is 2.6 times larger than that of our planet. At the same time, the relatively close planet-ocean is in the habitable zone of its star. That is, there could potentially be extraterrestrial life there, scientists say.
Earlier, scientists discovered an Earth-like exoplanet orbiting a star of the same type as our Sun. The exoplanet is blocked by the tidal forces of its star, so one side of it is so heated that it is a sea of lava.
