Who is Nikku Madhusudhan? Astrophysicist who detected new exoplanet with possible evidence of life

A team of researchers led by Indian-origin astrophysicist Dr. Nikku Madhusudhan claimed on Thursday to have found the strongest indication yet of extraterrestrial life, not in our solar system but on a massive planet, known as K2-18b, that orbits a star 120 light-years from Earth, New York Times reported. A repeated analysis of the exoplanet's atmosphere suggests an abundance of a molecule that on Earth has only one known source, living organisms such as marine algae. “It is in no one's interest to claim prematurely that we have detected life,” said Nikku Madhusudhan, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge and an author of the new study.  

Who is Nikku Madhusudhan? 

Nikku Madhusudhan is an Indian-origin professor of astrophysics and exoplanetary science at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge. He completed his PhD in 2009 in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and MS also from MIT. As an astro physics scientist, Madhusudhan works on exoplanets, atmospheres, biomarkers, etc.  

What was Nikku Madhusudhan and his team’s finding? 

The best explanation for his group's observations is that K2-18b is covered with a warm ocean, brimming with life. “This is a revolutionary moment. It's the first time humanity has seen potential biosignatures on a habitable planet,” Madhusudhan said. The study was published on Wednesday in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Other researchers called it an exciting, thought-provoking first step to making sense of what's on K2-18b. But they were reluctant to draw grand conclusions. 

In another interview, Madhusudhan said, “Yes, we are detecting a biomarker as we know it to be on earth (we obviously don't know the context for such a biomarker on an exoplanet). Exoplanet K2-18b appears to be a water-world, 2.5 times the size of earth. So, Miller's Planet might be habitable after all... and, disclosure happens on many fronts. Controlled disclosure, that is.” 

(With inputs from ANI)