The latest search for life on the headline–making exoplanet K2-18 b has come up empty. But the team says that they have developed a framework that could shape how scientists hunt for extraterrestrial life for years to come.
In a study posted to the arXiv preprint server and accepted for publication by The Astrophysical Journal, researchers conducted one of the broadest and most sensitive technosignature searches ever in the K2-18 planetary system. Technosignatures are observable signs of technology that could indicate the presence of intelligent life.
Using the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico and the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa, the team observed the K2-18 system for 33 days, the length of a year on the planet K2-18 b. After filtering out radio frequency interference (RFI) and other noise, they found no radio signals consistent with a technological origin.
To read more, click here.