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Scientists have discovered, for the first time, the water vapor in the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet, whose temperatures suggest that it might be good to live. This discovery could have important consequences for the search for extrasolar life.
College London experts have identified the water vapor in the K2-18b atmosphere, 110 light years from Earth, 8 times its mass. This is the only planet revolving around a star outside the solar system. To support life.
The study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature Astronomy, showed that the K2-18b, detected by NASA's Kepler Space Telescope in 2015, is not a second Earth. Essential question: "Is the Earth unique?"
The data collected by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2016 and 2017 was used to study the dissipation of light from stars in the atmosphere of the planet. The results revealed the presence of water vapor in addition to hydrogen and helium in the atmosphere. Scientists believe that nitrogen and methane molecules may also exist, but it is difficult to detect at this stage.
The planet K2-18b is more likely to be exposed to radiation than Earth, orbiting the dwarf star that the research project seeks to study, with financial support from the European Research Council and of the British Council for Scientific and Technological Installations.
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