Scientists have discovered significant evidence of an atmosphere on a planet orbiting a star 49 light-years away from Earth. The discovery suggests that the planet may have the potential to support life. LHS 1140b, dubbed a “super-Earth,” is approximately five times the mass of Earth. The planet is located in its star’s “habitable zone,” a temperature range where liquid water can exist.
elchi reports that the lead author of the study published in the journal “Science” on July 16, planetary scientist Charles Cadieux, stated that based on mass and radius measurements, the planet has a rocky structure. Cadieux indicated that the planet could have an iron core, a silicate mantle, and a low-density component consisting of water and possibly an atmosphere similar to Earth’s.
Located in the habitable zone.
Astronomers have discovered more than 6,200 exoplanets since the 1990s. The Hubble Space Telescope detected traces of an atmosphere on a gas giant exoplanet in 2001. If the observations are confirmed, LHS 1140b will be the first atmosphere recorded on a rocky planet located in the habitable zone of another star. Emphasizing the difficulty of studying the atmospheres of distant rocky planets, Cadieux stated that LHS 1140b is one of the strongest candidates to date for the search for life outside the solar system. It was noted that the planet’s rocky structure, temperatures that can support liquid water, and atmosphere possess the essential elements for life.
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