Planet K2-18b: 5 Facts About “Super Earth” Being Probed For Alien Life

K2-18b is located approximately 110 light-years away from Earth. (Artist Concept)

A recent study shows that a little-known planet about 110 light years away, called K2-18b, might resemble a larger version of Earth and could support alien life. Researchers from the University of Toronto found this by analysing data from the European Southern Observatory (ESO).

Here are 5 facts about planet K2-18b, which was first discovered in 2015:

1. Two research teams have found the presence of water vapour in the atmosphere of K2-18b recently, according to Space.com. One team, led by Angelos Tsiaras from University College London, found that K2-18b’s atmosphere could contain anywhere from 0.01% to 50% water vapour. So it could be mostly covered in water or have a mix of oceans and land. However, another group, led by Bjorn Benneke from the Universite de Montreal, suggested that K2-18b might have a solid core surrounded by a massive hydrogen-dominated atmosphere with only a tiny bit of water vapour, which means, it won’t have a solid surface like Earth’s.
2. K2-18b is located approximately 110 light-years away from Earth, and it orbits its star at a distance where liquid water could exist on its surface. This suggests that it might have conditions suitable for supporting alien life. 
3. Despite its potential habitability, K2-18b is very different from Earth. Its dimension is around 2.37 times larger and it has a mass that is approximately 8.92 times greater than our planet. 
4. K2-18b orbits a red dwarf star, which is smaller and dimmer than our sun. It completes one orbit in 32.9 days.
5. A trip to K2-18b would be incredibly lengthy, spanning over a million years using conventional rocket propulsion methods, which poses a major challenge for any potential future exploration.

There is still just limited information about K2-18b’s characteristics which leaves a lot to speculation. Scientists are also not sure if it is tidally locked – meaning one side always faces its star, creating permanent day and night sides with a twilight zone in between.