A substance produced on Earth only by organisms was found on another planet
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On planet K2-18 b, located 120 light-years from Earth, astrophysicists have found evidence of a molecule of the organic compound dimethyl sulfide, which on Earth is produced in any significant quantities only by plants and algae.
Carbon dioxide, methane and carbon were also found in the planet’s atmosphere, which may indicate an ocean of liquid water under a helium-hydrogen gas shell.
The planet in the constellation Leo was discovered in 2015. It is located in the “habitable zone” of the red dwarf K2-18 and is a “super-Earth,” that is, a planet larger than Earth in volume and mass, but similar to it in many other characteristics.
Scientists reported their findings on the European Space Agency website, and they also plan to publish their work in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
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