Researchers have trawled through million of signals from a planet which may be harbouring alien life
A planet with potentially life-giving conditions has been probed for signs of life by top boffins. Millions of signals from K2-18b have been analysed for signs of intelligent life by Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).
The researchers found no evidence of narrow-band radio signals comparable to technology produced by humans, meaning no signs of life were found. Two of Earth’s most powerful were used to search the area around K2-18b for signs of artificial radio transmissions.
In a rare move, the project combined the resources of the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico and the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. Using both of these powerful facilities provided an exceptionally sensitive search of K2-18b.
Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed the planet’s atmosphere is rich in carbon dioxide and methane. The conditions mean it could be a “Hycean” world” – a world completely covered by ocean.
K2-18b is roughly 124 light years away from Earth and orbits the habitable zone of a red dwarf star.
Last year, experts revealed alien life on K2-18b “may not have DNA like humans but might walk on two legs”. Astronomers led by the University of Cambridge recently located the planet which they say has “the strongest ever signs” of potential alien life.
Boffins say they’ve discovered molecules in the planet’s atmosphere that are primarily produced by microbial life on Earth. If this planet does indeed support alien life then it could have some features resembling life on Earth, say experts – however, some facets of alien biology could be like nothing we’ve ever seen before.
Dr Matt Burleigh, an astronomer at the University of Leeds, said: “As for whether any alien life will resemble life on Earth, well we won’t know for certain until we find it.
“There are strong arguments that life on other planets would still be based on carbon, utilise similar proteins and amino acids, and would need water to act as a solvent, since these things are common in the Universe.
“There are also good arguments that evolution would find the same solutions as it has on Earth. For example, the camera eye (like our eyes) has independently evolved many times in our fossil record.
“Perhaps it’s just a really good way of seeing! So maybe if one day we meet an alien, it will walk around on two legs and see with eyes that are very much like our own.”