Particle.news
Download on the App Store
13 ARTICLES
·
2w ago

Astronomers Detect Escaping Helium That Indicates an Atmosphere on Nearby Super‑Earth LHS 1140 b

The peer‑reviewed study validates a theoretical prediction and a ground‑based technique and makes LHS 1140 b a priority for follow‑up to probe its lower atmosphere and habitability.

NASA concept art depicting LHS 1140 b as a rocky super-Earth — a type of potentially habitable planet most similar to our own.
Image
Scientists Discover Atmosphere Around Earth-Like Planet 49 Light Years Away (Image credit: AI-generated)
Image

Overview

  • A paper published July 16 reports a statistically significant detection of helium escaping from LHS 1140 b, which the authors interpret as the first confirmed atmosphere on a rocky planet in another star’s habitable zone.
  • The signal came from infrared spectra taken with the WINERED instrument on the Magellan Clay Telescope, and the team found the helium in 2024 but not in 2025, showing the escape is time‑variable.
  • LHS 1140 b is a nearby super‑Earth about 48–49 light‑years away with a radius near 1.7 times Earth’s and a mass near 5.6 times Earth’s that orbits a relatively quiet red dwarf in the habitable zone.
  • The detected helium traces an extended upper layer and does not reveal the bulk gases or surface conditions, the authors say the atmosphere is likely ancient (over three billion years) and there is currently no evidence of life.
  • The result validates the team’s model and a new ground‑based approach for finding atmospheres on rocky worlds and has moved LHS 1140 b onto priority lists for follow‑up with JWST, HST and additional ground campaigns to measure composition and search for water or biosignatures.