In a first, ‘super-Earth’ rocky exoplanet may have an atmosphere

Key Points:

• Scientists have detected signs that the super-Earth exoplanet LHS 1140b, located 49 light-years away, may have an atmosphere, making it a promising candidate for habitability due to its location in the habitable "Goldilocks zone."
• LHS 1140b is about five times the mass of Earth and is believed to be rocky with a possible iron core and silicate mantle, and observations in 2024 detected helium escaping from its atmosphere, suggesting it retained helium after losing hydrogen.
• The host star is a red dwarf, which typically challenges atmospheric retention due to high radiation, so confirming an atmosphere on LHS 1140b would be significant as it would be the first rocky planet around such a star confirmed to have one.
• Follow-up observations in 2025 did not detect helium, raising questions about atmospheric variability, but further studies using advanced telescopes including James Webb and Hubble are planned to verify and expand on these findings.
• Experts caution that more data is needed to confirm the atmosphere's existence, but if validated, LHS 1140b could become a key target in the search for life beyond our solar system and improve understanding of habitable conditions on rocky exoplanets orbiting red dwarfs.