Scientists find 'strongest evidence yet' of life on distant planet

Scientists have found new but tentative evidence that a faraway world orbiting another star may be home to life.

A Cambridge team studying the atmosphere of a planet called K2-18b has detected signs of molecules which on Earth are only produced by simple organisms, BBC reported.

This is the second, and more promising, time chemicals associated with life have been detected in the planet's atmosphere by Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

But the team and independent astronomers stress that more data is needed to confirm these results.

"This is the strongest evidence yet there is possibly life out there. I can realistically say that we can confirm this signal within one to two years," Prof Nikku Madhusudhan said.