Space & Astronomy

James Webb observes potentially habitable 'super-Earth' LHS 1140 b

By T.K. Randall
July 10, 2024

Image: James Webb Space Telescope
Credit: NASA/dima_zel/NOIRLab / CC BY 4.0 (adapted) Discovered back in 2017, LHS 1140 b remains of considerable interest to astronomers as it has the potential to be a world with the right conditions needed for life as know it to exist there.

The planet orbits a red dwarf star and is thought to be an ocean world, owing to the fact that its mass seems to be much lower than would be expected for a rocky, terrestrial world of its size.

More recently, for the first time, scientists conducted a full spectroscopic analysis by combining data from various telescopes including the James Webb, Hubble and Spitzer telescopes.The findings suggested that LHS 1140 b might not only be an ocean world, but that it is also potentially home to a thick atmosphere as well - a key indicator that hints at an Earth-like environment.

"This is the first time we have ever seen a hint of an atmosphere on a habitable zone rocky or ice-rich exoplanet," said University of Michigan astronomer Dr Ryan MacDonald.

"LHS 1140 b is one of the best small exoplanets in the habitable zone capable of supporting a thick atmosphere, and we might just have found evidence of air on this world."

While there is still a long way to go before the presence of liquid water, let alone a habitable atmosphere, can be confirmed on LHS 1140 b, it is certainly looking like a promising candidate.

Source: Mail Online

Tags: Extrasolar, Planet