The planet, known by astronomers as K2-18b, is located approximately 124 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Leo. One light year equals 5.88 trillion miles.

Researchers described K2-18b as a 'hycean' world, meaning it's potentially one planet-sized ocean sitting beneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) investigated the planet, finding strong evidence of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), two substances that are produced by microscopic marine algae called phytoplankton here on Earth.