LHS 1140 b
The exoplanet LHS 1140 b orbits a nearby red dwarf star 48 lightyears from the Solar system.[1][2][3] Its discovery was in 2017.
It is 0.0957 astronomical units from its primary, and its orbital period is 24.7 days.[4] Sources differ as to how massive it is.[3] Its mass is reported to be both 5.6 and 6.38 times that of Planet Earth. Either value makes it a super Earth.
In 2026 Astronomers announced LHS 1140 b is the first rocky planet to be detected that has an atmosphere.[1] That atmosphere, unexpectedly, contains Helium. The planet is in its star's habitable zone.
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1
Chelsea Gohd (2026-07-16). "Astronomers discover 1st atmosphere around a rocky Earth-like planet in the habitable zone". Space magazine. Archived from the original on 2026-07-18. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
The rocky planet, called LHS 1140 b, is 48-light-years away from Earth and according to this new research, it has an atmosphere that contains helium. It is also the first rocky planet to have an atmosphere be detected directly.
- ↑
Nathalie Ouellette (2024-07-08). "Astronomers Find Surprising Ice World in the Habitable Zone with Webb Data - Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets". University of Montreal. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
LHS 1140 b, an exoplanet orbiting a low-mass red dwarf star roughly one-fifth the size of the Sun, has captivated scientists due to it being one of the closest exoplanets to our Solar System that lies within its star’s habitable zone. Exoplanets found in this “Goldilocks’ Zone” have temperatures that would allow water to exist on them in liquid form — liquid water being a crucial element for life as we know it on Earth.
soft hyphen character in|quote=at position 353 (help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Enrico de Lazaro (2026-07-16). "Potential Atmosphere Detected on Habitable-Zone Exoplanet LHS 1140b". Sci.News. Archived from the original on 2026-07-18. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
- ↑
Alicia Cermak (2019-04-22). "LHS 1140 b". NASA Science. Archived from the original on 2026-07-16. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
LHS 1140 b is a super Earth exoplanet that orbits an M-type star. Its mass is 6.38 Earths, it takes 24.7 days to complete one orbit of its star, and is 0.0957 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2017.
<ref> tag with name "YouTube-Thomas-Mulligan-2024-07-10" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.