"A new investigation with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope into K2-18 b, an exo-planet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, has revealed the presence of carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide," the Monday release said.
Webb’s discovery adds to recent studies suggesting that K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet, one which has the potential to possess a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean-covered surface, the release said.
K2-18 b orbits the cool dwarf star K2-18 in the habitable zone and lies 120 light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo, the release said.
"Exoplanets such as K2-18 b ... are poorly understood, and the nature of their atmospheres is a matter of active debate among astronomers," the release added.
The suggestion that the sub-Neptune K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet is intriguing, as some astronomers believe that these worlds are promising environments to search for evidence for life on exoplanets, according to the release.