The first atmosphere found around an Earth-like planet LHS 1140b

Researchers have discovered the first atmosphere orbiting a rocky Earth-like planet in the habitable zone of a distant star.

The researchers say their discovery provides strong evidence that Earth-like worlds may exist beyond our solar system.

The gas found in the atmosphere is helium, which cannot support life, but other gases can exist.

Lead author Dr. Colin Kerubim of Harvard University described the findings as “a big deal.”

“This is the first time anyone has found an atmosphere on a rocky planet in the habitable zone of another star.”

The planet, LHS 1140 b, is 48 light-years from Earth and orbits a red star much smaller and cooler than our Sun.

More than 6,000 worlds have been discovered orbiting distant stars. But the new discovery is significant because it comes closer to one of the greatest prizes in science: the discovery of life on another world.

The researchers write in Science magazine, ExternalThey are clear – they haven’t done that, at least not yet. But a planet must have water to support life, and for that it must be the right distance from the star: not too close, because it would be too hot, and not too far, because it would be too cold – but somewhere between “just right”.

Planetary scientists call this the “Goldilocks Zone”, after the fairy tale girl who was angry about the temperature of her porridge.

Hundreds of planets have been found in the Goldilocks zones of their stars – but only a few dozen are small and rocky – like our Earth – this is another sign that the planet supports life.

But none of this was found in the atmosphere.

Until now.

But the only gas found in the atmosphere so far is helium, probably in the upper atmosphere, which does not support life on its own.

But there may be other, more life-supporting gases, lower down. Dr. David Charbonneau, a resident of Harvard, said that the key is the discovery of an Earth-like planet with an atmosphere outside our solar system.

“People are generally interested in the big questions: Are we the only ones? Is there life beyond Earth or beyond the solar system? For that, this study has discovered the first atmosphere found on a rocky planet in the habitable zone of a star outside our solar system,” he said.

LHS 1140b is not the only world under investigation for life. K2-18b, sub-Neptune’s water-rich interior; Made headlines When scientists look for signs of dimethyl sulfide – a gas associated with marine life on Earth.

But in the year An analysis led by NASA in 2025 showed that the signal was too weak to confirm, and that the gas could have formed without biology.

TRAPPIST-1’s seven rocky worlds also remain elusive: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope ruled out the presence of an Earth-like atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1d, while data from TRAPPIST-1e remain woefully inconclusive.