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9 clusters · 126 sources · 43 days · First seen 2 months ago · Last updated 23 days ago

Atmosphere confirmed on habitable-zone exoplanet LHS 1140 b

Overview

Follow-up observations reported on 20 July 2026 reaffirm the presence of a thin, helium-rich upper atmosphere on the rocky super-Earth LHS 1140 b. Using the Magellan Clay telescope in Chile, an international team led by Harvard astronomer Collin Cherubim reproduced the helium escape signal first detected during a rare September 2024 alignment with the WINERED spectrograph and published in Science on 16 July 2024. A weakened signal was noted in 2025, and a clear detection was captured again in mid-July 2026, confirming the original finding.

The 2026 Science paper emphasizes that this is the first unambiguous spectroscopic confirmation of an atmosphere on a terrestrial planet within the habitable zone. Astrophysicist Eirik Newth noted the faint helium signature escaping from a planet 48 light-years away, describing the result as “the first confirmation of something that was previously only theory, that Earth-like exoplanets also have atmospheres.”

On 25 July 2026, the team reported early JWST data suggesting a dense CO2-rich atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1 b, extending the implication that multiple habitable-zone super-Earths can retain atmospheres. Subsequent reports described LHS 1140 b as a five-to-six Earth-mass world with a low-density component likely including water, calling it “the best place to look for life outside the solar system at this point.” Findings continue to guide upcoming JWST and next-generation mission observations aimed at probing atmospheric composition and liquid-water potential.

Entities

NASA · Collin Cherubim · Harvard University · Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands · Gliese 12 b

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 4 SOURCES] LHS 1140b is a super‑Earth with about five times Earth’s mass.
[● 4 SOURCES] LHS 1140b orbits a red‑dwarf star about 48–49 light‑years from Earth within the habitable zone.
[● 4 SOURCES] Collin Cherubim, a NASA Sagan Fellow at the University of Chicago, led the study and conducted the research during his PhD at Harvard University.
[● 4 SOURCES] The findings were published on 16 July 2024 in the journal Science.
[● 4 SOURCES] If confirmed, this would be the first atmosphere detected on a rocky exoplanet in another star’s habitable zone.
[● 4 SOURCES] In 2001 the Hubble Space Telescope detected an atmosphere on a gas‑giant exoplanet about 150 light‑years away.
[● 3 SOURCES] Scientists detected escaping helium in LHS 1140b’s upper atmosphere using the Magellan Clay telescope in Chile.

Timeline

23 days ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 5 sources
Astronomers identify key characteristics of rocky exoplanets
Astronomers have identified key characteristics of rocky exoplanets Gliese 12 b and LHS 1140 b, including the landmark detection of an atmosphere on the latter, boosting the search for extraterrestrial life.
about 1 month ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 14 sources
LHS 1140b Super‑Earth Shows Signs of Atmosphere
Scientists detected a helium‑rich atmosphere on super‑Earth LHS 1140b, 48 ly away, using Chile’s Magellan Clay telescope; the finding, led by Collin Cherubim and published in Science, could be the first rocky‑h
about 2 months ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
Rocky Exoplanets LHS 1140 b and TRAPPIST‑1 b Confirmed to Have Atmospheres
Astronomers have detected atmospheres on two rocky exoplanets—LHS 1140 b and TRAPPIST‑1 b—using spectroscopic observations, confirming that rocky worlds can retain gases and are key targets for JWST and future‑
about 2 months ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 7 sources
Atmosphere Detected on Exoplanet LHS 1140b, 48 Light‑Years Away
Harvard scientists using Chile’s Magellan telescope observed helium escaping from LHS 1140b, confirming an atmosphere on the 48‑light‑year‑distant rocky super‑Earth in its star’s habitable zone.
about 2 months ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 16 sources
Exoplanet LHS 1140 b Confirmed to Have Atmosphere
Scientists have confirmed an atmosphere, detected via helium escape, on the super‑Earth LHS 1140 b – the first such finding for a rocky planet in its star’s habitable zone.
about 2 months ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 25 sources
LHS 1140 b Planet Found with Helium‑Rich Atmosphere in Habitable Zone
Helium escaping from the rocky exoplanet LHS 1140 b – 48 ly away – confirms the first atmosphere on a habitable‑zone super‑Earth, using Chile’s Magellan Clay telescope.
about 2 months ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 53 sources
LHS 1140 b’s Atmosphere Detected, First Around Rocky Habitable‑Zone Exoplanet
Scientists detected escaping helium on LHS 1140 b, confirming the first atmosphere around a rocky planet in a habitable zone, a milestone for exoplanet habitability research.
2 months ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 5 sources
Exoplanet LHS 3844b May Host Life Despite Extreme Day‑Night Temperatures
Laboratory modelling shows that tidal‑locked exoplanet LHS 3844b could have internal heat circulation creating moderate zones that might support life, challenging prior habitability assumptions.
2 months ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
Exoplanet Research Uncovers Extreme Heat Trapping and Possible Life‑Supporting Mechanisms
New studies reveal that cloud‑driven heat trapping can melt sub‑Neptune surfaces into magma oceans, while mantle circulation on tidally locked exoplanets may moderate extreme temperatures, expanding prospects‑

Sources

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This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history