'Super Earth' K2-18b: Cloudy planet, with a chance of aliens? Here's how long it takes to get there

Space nerds, science lovers, Star Wars junkies and alien believers — rejoice!

Astronomers, aided by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) just dropped some cosmic tea — they’ve found the strongest hints yet of possible life on a planet outside our solar system.

Its name is K2-18b, a mysterious world 124 light-years away in Leo, which currently hogs the spotlight down here below.

Some scientists think it could be a steamy ocean planet with the right vibes for microbial life. Others? Still raising skeptical eyebrows.

Some scientists claim this distant world might just be our best bet yet for finding extraterrestrial life.

Meet K2-18b: The Earth's twin?

K2-18b is an exoplanet orbiting a red dwarf star called K2-18, chilling 124 light-years away in the Leo constellation.

It’s about 2.6 times the size of Earth, making it what astronomers call a "sub-Neptune". It zips around its star every 33 days, soaking up about as much sunlight as Earth does from the Sun.

But don’t let the sunbathing fool you — this planet probably looks more like Uranus or Neptune than our blue marble.

It might even be tidally locked, meaning one side always faces its star, basking in eternal daylight while the other side freezes in permanent night.

Cloudy with a chance of aliens?

Let’s rewind to 2019.

That’s when scientists first detected water vapor in K2-18b’s atmosphere — cue the interstellar buzz.

Fast-forward to 2023, and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) picked up carbon dioxide and methane, two ingredients that often hang out where life exists.

Then, in 2025, the real mic drop happened: scientists spotted dimethyl sulfide (DMS).

On Earth, this gas is only produced by living organisms — mostly by plankton in oceans. And here's the kicker: it’s been detected at levels 20 times higher than on Earth.

Time for ET to phone home?

But not everyone’s ready to phone the aliens just yet.

Some scientists point out that DMS can be produced in labs without life, so the debate is still very much alive.

What's K2-18b made of

K2-18b seems to have a hydrogen-rich atmosphere, a thick outer layer, and possibly — just possibly — a liquid water ocean hidden beneath.

But we can’t say for sure if it’s splishy-splashy or if it’s a "supercritical" fluid (that weird in-between state where gas and liquid are one and the same).

Also, there may be a high-pressure ice layer under any ocean that could mess with the climate.

Simply put: it’s complicated.

The star of the show: K2-18

The host star, K2-18, is a red dwarf, smaller and cooler than our Sun — and unfortunately, totally invisible to the naked eye.

It’s around 2.4 billion years old, and like most M-dwarf stars, it might throw flares or have spots, making it tricky to get clear readings of its planets.

Bonus fact: K2-18 also has a sibling planet, K2-18c, orbiting even closer in.

Wanna visit?

If you're in a rush, it's a no-deal. At current Earth speeds:

• By car? 1 billion years

• Bullet train? 694 million years

• Jet? 139 million years

So yeah... maybe let the telescopes handle it for now.

But why Should You Care?

K2-18b is a sub-Neptune with water vapour, methane, and possibly DMS in its atmosphere.

It’s 124 light-years away, in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star.

It might be a water world, a mini-Neptune, or a strange hybrid of both.

DMS could be a biomarker, hinting at life — but it's not confirmed.

Getting there? Not in this lifetime.