Tentative DMS and DMDS Detections on K2-18b: A Cautious Path Toward Biosignature Claims

To the point

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers detected tentative signs of dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide in the atmosphere of the rocky exoplanet K2-18b, but the result is only three-sigma and could arise from non-biological chemistry, so a five-sigma confirmation and ruling out abiotic sources are needed before any claim of life.

Study finds three sigma probability of biological activity outside our solar system
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Study finds three sigma probability of biological activity outside our solar system

Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a group of astronomers has detected the chemical fingerprints of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b, which orbits its star in the habitable zone. The detection has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.