Astronomers have observed a distant planet that could be entirely covered in a deep water ocean, in findings that advance the search for habitable conditions beyond Earth

According to a March 2024 article in The Guardian, NASA’s James Webb space telescope (JWST) has detected water vapor and chemical signatures of methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet. The exoplanet is twice the radius of Earth and is about 70 light years away

The chemical mix in the atmosphere is consistent with a water world where the ocean would span the entire surface, and a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. The ocean could be upwards of 100 degrees [Celsius] or more

Yes, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected water vapor and chemical signatures of methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet

In November 2023, the JWST observed the exoplanet WASP-80 b as it passed in front of and behind its host star. WASP-80 b is a gas giant about half as massive as Jupiter, and orbits a K-type main sequence star about 1.5 billion years old. The JWST’s spectra indicate an atmosphere containing methane gas and water vapor. 

The JWST has also detected carbon dioxide and water vapor on other distant exoplanets

The ocean could be upwards of 100 degrees [Celsius] or more,” said Prof Nikku Madhusudhan, who led the analysis. At high atmospheric pressure, an ocean this hot could still be liquid, “but it’s not clear if it would be habitable,” he added

Whichever view wins out, these latest observations showcase the stunning insights James Webb is giving into the nature of planets beyond our solar system. The telescope captures the starlight that has been filtered through the atmospheres of orbiting planets to give detailed breakdowns of the chemical elements present. From this, astronomers can build up a picture of conditions at a planet’s surface – and the likelihood of life being able to survive there

The evidence for TOI-270 d’s ocean is based on the absence of ammonia, which basic chemistry predicts should occur naturally in a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. But ammonia is highly soluble in water and so would be depleted in the atmosphere if there were an ocean down below. “One interpretation is that this is a so-called ‘hycean’ world – with a water ocean under a hydrogen-rich atmosphere,” said Madhusudhan.

Conditions would be very different from those on Earth. TOI-270 d is tidally locked, meaning one side permanently faces its star and the other is bathed in eternal darkness, creating an extreme temperature contras

The ocean would be extremely hot on the day side. The night side could potentially host habitable conditions,” said Madhusudhan. But there would be a crushing atmosphere, with tens or hundreds of times the pressure at the Earth’s surface, and steam rolling off the ocean. The waters are likely to reach depths of tens to hundreds of kilometres, with a high-pressure ice seabed, and beneath that a rocky core

Dr Jo Barstow, an astronomer at the Open University who was not involved in the latest work, said: “Spectra of these small planets with JWST are really exciting because these are brand new environments for which we have no solar system equivalent.”

Barstow added that further observations to pin down the abundance of water vapour in the atmosphere would help clarify the likelihood of an ocean. “It’s really fascinating and really nice that two teams have looked at the same dataset and come up with the same chemical makeup,” she added.

Here are some other planets that may have oceans:

• K2-18 b This exoplanet is 120 light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo. It’s almost nine times the mass of Earth and could be a Hycean exoplanet, which means it has a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean-covered surface. 
• TOI-1452 b This super-Earth exoplanet has potential deep oceans. 
• Proxima Centauri b This is the closest known exoplanet to our solar system and orbits in the habitable zone of its host star. The planet’s mass suggests a rocky composition, and the potential existence of liquid water on its surface remains a topic of scientific investigation. 
• GJ 9827d This small, blazing-hot exoplanet is about twice Earth’s diameter and is 97 light-years from Earth. Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have detected water molecules in the atmosphere of this planet. 
• HAT-P-11b This Neptune-like planet is 120 light years away in the Cygnus constellation. In 2022, NASA detected water vapor on HAT-P-11b. 

According to a March 2024 article in The Guardian, astronomers have detected a “waterworld” with a boiling ocean in deep space. The ocean could be over 100°C (212°F) in temperature, and it could be liquid even at high atmospheric pressure. The day side of the ocean would be extremely hot, while the night side could potentially be habitable. However, the atmosphere would be crushing, with tens or hundreds of times the pressure at the Earth’s surface

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