Earth-like exoplanet found to have an atmosphere

• 01Researchers confirmed the first observation of an atmosphere around a rocky exoplanet within the habitable zone of its star, identifying LHS 1140b as the subject.
• 02Data captured in 2024 revealed helium escaping from LHS 1140b into space, marking the first direct identification of an atmospheric species on any rocky exoplanet.
• 03LHS 1140b has a mass 5.6 times that of Earth, a radius 70% larger than Earth's, and orbits a red dwarf star 49 light years away in the constellation Cetus.
• 04The planet is tidally locked, meaning one side permanently faces its star, and likely contains significantly more water than Earth.
• 05The host star of LHS 1140b is smaller and dimmer than the Sun but emits a high proportion of ionizing radiation, though the star itself is described as quiet with few flares.
• 06No atmosphere was detected around LHS 1140c, another rocky planet orbiting the same star system.
• 07Observations in 2025 did not detect the helium signal found in 2024, prompting the research team to re-analyze their initial findings.
• 08Dr. Collin Cherubim and colleagues published their findings in the journal Science, using an infrared spectrograph on the Magellan Clay telescope in Chile.
• 09Dr. Yamila Miguel of Leiden Observatory noted that the detected gas is escaping from the planet's upper atmosphere, not regions close to the surface where life might evolve.

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Scientists have confirmed the first atmosphere around a rocky exoplanet in the habitable zone, identifying LHS 1140b as the subject. The team detected escaping helium in 2024 data, although the signal was absent in 2025 observations, leading to further analysis. The discovery provides key insights into planetary habitability around red dwarf stars, though experts note the detected atmospheric loss occurs in the upper atmosphere rather than near the surface.