K2-18 b

Description

If there was a reality TV show about controversial exoplanets, K2-18 b would be the star. About 120 light years away from Earth, a red dwarf star cooler and less luminous than the Sun is orbited by a planet larger and more massive than Earth but smaller than Neptune—a Super Earth. This exoplanet has been in and out of the news since its discovery in 2015. Not only does it reside in the sweet spot around a star where liquid water could exist (aka the habitable zone), a team of scientists claims they detected a biosignature. Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is a chemical produced by organisms on Earth, but it's also been detected on a lifeless comet. So ALIENS? No, probably not. Other research groups have argued the detection might not even be real (noisy data is a common astronomical challenge).

My expert opinion is we don't know enough about the complex atmospheric chemistry of this distant world nor its composition to make such bold claims...yet. Science is hard! But these conversations and studies are important for progressing, which inspired this piece of art. My interpretation of K2-18 b came from the term Hycean—a Super Earth exoplanet dominated by a hydrogen atmosphere covered in an ocean.

Original Details

• Hand-painted clay 3 inches (7.6 cm) in diameter
• Mounted in an 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) custom wood shadowbox frame
• Ready to display with sawtooth hanger 
  
• Back of piece signed

Shipping: $10 domestic, $30 international

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