SPACE.COM - Hycean worlds, which are a possible kind of exoplanet with deep oceans surrounded by a thick envelope of hydrogen, could provide the best chance for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to detect biosignatures, according to a new study.
Those potential signs of life are a group of chemicals called methyl halides, which on Earth are produced by some bacteria and ocean algae.
"Unlike an Earth-like planet, where atmospheric noise and telescope limitations make it difficult to detect biosignatures, hycean planets offer a much clearer signal," said Eddie Schwieterman, who is an astrobiologist at the University of California, Riverside, in a statement.