Astronomers have identified what they say is the first atmosphere ever found on a rocky planet in the habitable zone of another star, according to ScienceDaily.
The planet, LHS 1140 b, is about 48 light-years from Earth and orbits a red dwarf star. Scientists say the world is rocky and sits in the habitable zone, the region where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist on the surface.
In the study, published July 16 in Science, researchers reported a helium signal escaping from the planet. That observation matched a theoretical model predicting that LHS 1140 b would have helium slowly leaking from its upper atmosphere.
Researchers used the Warm Infrared Echelle Spectrograph at the Magellan Observatory in Chile to make the detection. They say the atmosphere may have survived for more than three billion years, making the planet a strong target for future observations.
The team now hopes to learn more about the atmosphere's full chemical makeup and whether the planet may have oceans or other features tied to habitability.
