Looking Up - 20 Sept 23 - Have we detected a sign of life on an exoplanet?

--:--

Have we detected a sign of life on an exoplanet? The chemical signature of DMS has been possibly found by the James Webb Space Telescope. In a year's time we'll have more robust data on this, but it suggests that phytoplankton may exist - that is, life! - on a planet which is not Earth.

20 Sep 2023 English South Africa Places & Travel

Other recent episodes

Looking Up - 01 May 24 - K2-18 b

K2-18 b may be the location for our first detection of alien life. We will have to wait a few months for results of recent observations to become available. Spoiler alert: probably not life you could enjoy a cup of tea and a cosy fireside chat with.

1 May 4 min

Looking Up - 24 April 24 - 49 new galaxies detected by Dr Marcin Glowacki

Dr Marcin Glowacki shares his brand new research, in which he has detected 49 new galaxies while he was looking for something else! Marcin and Kechil discuss star-forming galaxies.

24 Apr 5 min

Looking Up - 17 April 24 - Fast Radio Bursts

Fast Radio Bursts: can we ever see them? What are they? Masters student Kira Hanmer is among the first in the world ever to go looking for these unexplained phenomena in the optical realm.

17 Apr 5 min

Looking Up - 10 April 24 - PhD student Venu Prayag shares his interest in technosignatures

Second year PhD student Venu Prayag shares his interest in technosignatures: a method of detecting alien activity emanating from planets outside of our solar system. He's optimistic we will find these soon, and with the South African instrument, MeerKAT, in the Northern Cape!

10 Apr 7 min

Looking Up - 03 April 24 - There will be a solar eclipse on 8 April

There will be a solar eclipse on 8 April visible over Mexico, the southern and eastern United States, and part of Canada. It will not be visible over this continent. There are all manner of nutty things being said about it on the Internet. Enjoy!

3 Apr 4 min

All episodes