Astronomers Detect an Atmosphere on a Potentially Earth-Like World

Astronomers detected escaping helium from LHS 1140 b, a rocky exoplanet in its star’s habitable zone.

The finding, made with a ground-based infrared spectrograph, is the strongest evidence yet that the planet is retaining an atmosphere.

That matters because an atmosphere is a key requirement for surface liquid water and long-term habitability on an Earth-like world.

The result marks a milestone in the search for life beyond Earth.