Astronomii au detectat în premieră o atmosferă în jurul unei planete asemănătoare Pământului

Astronomers have confirmed the presence of an atmosphere around the rocky exoplanet LHS 1140 b, located in the habitable zone of its star, marking a significant step in the search for life beyond our Solar System. The planet, situated 49 light-years away in the constellation Cetus, orbits a red dwarf star and is a promising candidate for studying life-supporting conditions. Researchers detected helium escaping from its upper atmosphere, indicating its existence. However, this does not confirm habitability or the presence of life. LHS 1140 b is about 5.6 times the mass of Earth and may contain significant water, with some models suggesting it could be an ocean planet. Future studies will analyze its atmospheric composition for gases like water vapor, oxygen, or carbon dioxide, which could provide further insights.