Potential Atmosphere Detected on Habitable-Zone Exoplanet LHS 1140b
Astronomers have detected evidence of a variable atmosphere on the exoplanet LHS 1140b, located in the habitable zone of a nearby star. Observations suggest the planet may lose and regain helium due to stellar radiation.
Why it matters
This discovery provides critical insights into whether rocky, Earth-like planets can retain atmospheres, a key factor in the search for extraterrestrial life.
Using spectral data from the Magellan Clay telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, astronomers detected helium escaping from LHS 1140b , a rocky exoplanet that orbits in the habitable zone of the nearby low-mass star LHS 1140.
An artist’s concept of rocky planets LHS 1140b and LHS 1140c. Image credit: Melissa Weiss / Harvard & Smithsonian’s Center for Astrophysics.
LHS 1140 is a 3-billion-year-old inactive M-dwarf located approximately 39 light-years away in the constellation of Cetus.
Also cataloged as Gliese 3053 or GJ 3053, it is orbited by three planets: LHS 1140b, c and d.
Discovered in 2017, LHS 1140b has a mass of 5.6 Earth masses and a radius of 1.73 Earth radii.
It has an orbital period of 24.7 days and receives 42% of the stellar irradiation received by Earth, giving it an equilibrium temperature of 226 K (minus 47 degrees Celsius, or minus 53 degrees Fahrenheit).
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in