Scientists detect “strongest evidence till date” of life outside our solar system
London: Astronomers have reported the strongest evidence yet of potential biological activity on a distant planet named K2-18b, located about 124 light-years away from Earth. The planet, which is more than twice the size of Earth, has shown signs of atmospheric molecules that, on Earth, are produced only by living marine organisms.
The discovery was made by an international team of scientists led by Indian Origin scientist Dr. Nikku Madhusudhan of the University of Cambridge. Using data collected by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the team analyzed the chemical composition of the planet’s atmosphere. They found molecular signatures that suggest the possible presence of life-supporting processes.
“This is certainly the strongest sign we have seen yet,” said Dr. Madhusudhan in a television interview. “I can realistically say that we could confirm this signal within one or two years.” He added that if life is found on K2-18b, it could point to the likelihood of life being common across the galaxy.
The planet K2-18b is located in the habitable zone of its host star, a red dwarf. This is the region where temperatures could allow for the existence of liquid water—a key ingredient for life. The planet is about 2.5 times the size of Earth and sits roughly 700 trillion miles away.
The James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021, is equipped to detect and analyze the faint light that passes through a planet's atmosphere as it transits its star. This allows scientists to identify the presence of specific molecules. In the case of K2-18b, the molecules detected appear to be those that, on Earth, are associated with biological activity.
However, experts are urging caution. While the findings are promising, they remain inconclusive. The scientific team is in the process of preparing a detailed paper on the discovery and is expected to seek further observations to validate the results.
Catherine Heymans, the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, noted that even more detailed data might not provide a definite answer. “Even with perfect data, you still won’t be able to say that this is definitely of biological origin,” she said. “There are many unknowns in the universe, and other non-biological processes could produce similar signatures.”
The research team hopes that continued observations using the James Webb Space Telescope and other advanced instruments will offer greater clarity in the coming years.
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ED attaches fresh assets in PMLA case against Reliance Group; total attachment over Rs 10K cr
New Delhi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate has attached fresh assets worth Rs 1,120 crore as part of its money laundering probe against the companies of Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani, officials said.
Eighteen properties, including the Reliance Centre in Mumbai's Ballard Estate, fixed deposits, bank balance and shareholding in unqouted investments of Reliance Anil Ambani Group have been provisionally attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.
Another set of seven properties of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, two properties of Reliance Power Ltd, nine properties of Reliance Value Service Private Ltd, fixed deposits in the name of Reliance Value Service Private Ltd, Reliance Venture Asset Management Private Lt, Phi Management Solutions Private Ltd, Adhar Property Consultancy Pvt Ltd, Gamesa Investment Management Private Ltd and investments made in unquoted investment by Reliance Venture Asset Management Private Ltd and Phi Management Solutions Private Ltd have also been attached, they said.
The ED had earlier attached properties worth over Rs 8,997 crore in the bank fraud cases related to Reliance Communications Ltd (RCOM), Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd, and Reliance Home Finance Ltd.
The total attachment in the case against the Reliance Group is now Rs 10,117 crore.
