Ok maybe that’s a stretch being that K2 18b is 110 light-years from earth but we do know a few things about K2 18b that would make it an excellent candidate for exploration if one day we figure out how to freeze people and send them there. For starters, K2 18b has a lot of water in its atmosphere and we know it lies within the Goldilocks zone. We have literally no idea if the planet has oxygen but hopefully we will soon have more answers.
Some have speculated that 2020 would be the year we find another habitable planet but with the delays in the James Webb telescope I’m not holding my breath. Fortunately the telescope has recently been finished and packed for deployment.
For those just tuning into the outer-space dreamer community, the James Webb telescope is a new generation of planet hunter telescopes that will hopefully tell us more than we currently know about the cosmos. What makes the James Webb telescope special is that its optimized for infrared spectrum therefore giving it us a much better look at our surroundings.
Does this mean aliens? I’m not sure. I do know that recent scientific advances have shown that it is indeed possible to hide infrared light signatures using simple passive technology. Whether or not aliens who are potentially millions of years ahead of us technologically will leave an infrared light signature is beyond my knowledge.
If you are interested in learning more I highly recommend checking https://spacenews.com/ for your latest and greatest space stories.
