The Hubble Space Telescope made a remarkable discovery on a Jupiter-sized planet from another solar system that finally gives a glimpse of hope that life is possible outside of our own planet. Scientists reported that the Hubble telescope discovered for the first time ever an organic molecule in the atmosphere of a planet found at 63 light-years in the constellation Vulpecula, called HD 189733b.

“This is a crucial stepping stone to eventually characterizing prebiotic molecules on planets where life could exist,” said Mark Swain of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Swain, who is the lead author of the paper that is set to appear in the March 20 issue of the journal Nature also reconfirming that in 2007 NASA’s Spitzer Space telescope uncovered traces of water molecules in the same planet’s atmosphere.

What is really amazing about the discovery of the methane molecule is that this element in particular is known to have an essential role in pre-biotic chemistry. In other words, there is water, there is methane, and scientists’ hopes can only grow higher.

There is, however, one aspect that makes this planet unhabitable: it is too hot to offer any chances of life on it. The 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit in its atmosphere (the melting point of silver) make it very unlikely to sustain life. This doesn’t make the discovery less extraordinary.

Scientists never cease to be amazed by what such far away planets have in store for them. The HD 189733b is considered to be a “hot Jupiter”, but it broke any pre-established models on planets similar to it. “This indicates we don’t really understand exoplanet atmosphere yet,” Swain also said, as NASA’s official site reported.

If this planet in particular doesn’t offer habitable conditions, in terms of size and temperature, astronomers never stop looking for a planet capable of offering conditions similar to Earth’s. And the confirmation of the existence of methane and water in HD 189733b’s atmosphere only go to show that there are still so many things we don’t know about the Universe.

Image credits: NASA, ESA and G. Bacon