EPISODE · Sep 4, 2025 · 18 MIN
K2-18b and the Hunt for Hycean Worlds: Ocean or Mini-Neptune? 🌌
from The SpaceInfo Podcast · host SpaceInfo Club
Could a planet 124 light-years away hide oceans—and maybe life—under a thick hydrogen atmosphere? K2-18b is shaking up exoplanet science, with JWST detecting methane and carbon dioxide in its skies. But water? Not so much.Dive in as we explore:What makes Hycean worlds unlike anything in our solar systemWhy K2-18b’s atmosphere has scientists scratching their headsThe harsh realities of greenhouse gases and tidal heating for habitabilityJoin us on this cosmic deep dive—are we staring at alien oceans, or just another mini-Neptune?#Exoplanets #HyceanWorlds #K218b #JWST #Astrobiology
What this episode covers
Could a planet 124 light-years away hide oceans—and maybe life—under a thick hydrogen atmosphere? K2-18b is shaking up exoplanet science, with JWST detecting methane and carbon dioxide in its skies. But water? Not so much.Dive in as we explore:What makes Hycean worlds unlike anything in our solar systemWhy K2-18b’s atmosphere has scientists scratching their headsThe harsh realities of greenhouse gases and tidal heating for habitabilityJoin us on this cosmic deep dive—are we staring at alien oceans, or just another mini-Neptune?#Exoplanets #HyceanWorlds #K218b #JWST #Astrobiology
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K2-18b and the Hunt for Hycean Worlds: Ocean or Mini-Neptune? 🌌
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