Scientists recently spotted a molecule on a far-off planet they thought might signal life. But now, new research says that reading was likely just ordinary gas—and the evidence isn’t nearly as solid as it first seemed.
In April, scientists sparked excitement around the world with a bold announcement: they had detected a molecule in the atmosphere of a distant planet that might point to alien life.
But new research from the University of Chicago is urging caution. After analyzing data from multiple observations of the planet, the team says the evidence isn’t strong enough to support such an extraordinary claim. In fact, other molecules—ones not linked to life—could just as easily explain what the telescope picked up.
“We found the data we have so far is much too noisy for the proof that would be needed to make that claim,” said Rafael Luque, a postdoctoral researcher at UChicago and first author on a paper detailing their findings, which is submitted to Astronomy and Astrophysics Letters. “There’s just not enough certainty to say one way or the other.”
To read more, click here.