Rocky planet in the habitable zone of another star has an atmosphere.
Astronomers have confirmed, for the first time, that a rocky planet in the habitable zone of another star has an atmosphere. The planet, named LHS 1140 b, is about 48 light-years away from Earth and revolves around a quiet red dwarf star's habitable zone.
By detecting helium escapes from the planet's upper atmosphere, the discovery was made. This provides the strongest evidence yet that LHS 1140 b has retained an atmosphere for billions of years, a crucial requirement for maintaining stable surface conditions and the potential for liquid water.
https://ownerproductionsairport.com/xfi3vdmr?key=22ad3dc427821c9092f3f1e833b40449Previous observations with the James Webb Space Telescope suggested that LHS 1140 b may have a dense, nitrogen-rich atmosphere and could even be a water-rich world. The new detection confirms that the planet is not airless, making it one of the most promising rocky exoplanets for future studies of habitability.
While no signs of life have been found, this milestone marks the first confirmed atmosphere on any rocky planet orbiting within the habitable zone of another star, bringing scientists one step closer to identifying truly Earth-like worlds.
Research:
Cherubim et al. (2026), Science — Helium escape from the
atmosphere of the habitable-zone rocky exoplanet LHS 1140 b.

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