Artist’s concept shows what exoplanet K2-18 b could look like (IMAGE)

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Artist’s concept shows what exoplanet K2-18 b could look like

Caption

This artist’s concept shows what exoplanet K2-18 b could look like based on science data. K2-18 b, an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, orbits the cool dwarf star K2-18 in the habitable zone and lies 120 light-years from Earth. A new investigation with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope into K2-18 b has revealed the presence of carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide. The abundance of methane and carbon dioxide, and shortage of ammonia, support the hypothesis that there may be a water ocean underneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere in K2-18 b.

Credit

Credits: Illustration: NASA, CSA, ESA, J. Olmsted (STScI), Science: N. Madhusudhan (Cambridge University) Download the full-resolution, uncompressed version and supporting visuals from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

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No restrictions.

License

Public Domain

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