NASA announced Wednesday, that for the first time scientists have detected the presence of an organic molecule (methane) in the atmosphere of an extra-solar planet:
Methane, composed of carbon and hydrogen, has been detected on most planets in our solar system, but never before on a world orbiting another star.
On a smaller, more hospitable planet, methane could be indicative of biological activity, though methane can be produced by non-biological processes. Methane generally breaks up quickly in Earth’s atmosphere through chemical reactions; this same process could occur on other small planets. And on a small planet, the hydrogen from the broken-up methane would likely escape quickly to space. So if a high amount of methane is detected on an Earth-sized planet, it could be the result of biological processes, because non-biological processes tend not to produce large amounts of the molecule. Astronomers plan to use the James Webb Telescope to search for water and methane on other extrasolar planets.
