A team of scientists says they have, for the first time, discovered an atmosphere on an Earth-like planet that has the potential to harbor life.

A new study published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Science says the planet, located in the habitable zone of its solar system, has an atmosphere that contains helium. It is also located at a distance from its star that would allow liquid water to exist on its surface.

Known as LHS 1140b, the planet is in Earth’s neighborhood, cosmically speaking, at a distance of 48 light-years away — or more than 450 trillion kilometers (280 trillion miles).

It was first discovered in 2017, and has been thoroughly scrutinized since then. But it has only now been confirmed to have an atmosphere.

LHS 1140b is a rocky “super-Earth,” 1.7 times bigger than Earth, and with 5.6 times its mass. Its density also points to large quantities of water. It is gently warmed by its red dwarf star, which is one-fifth the size of the Sun.

The exoplanet’s surface temperature is believed to be fairly similar to that on Earth and Mars.

Lead study author Collin Cherubim of Harvard University told the BBC that “this is the first time anyone has found an atmosphere on a rocky planet in the habitable zone of another star,” calling it “a big deal.”

The discovery of such a planet so close to........

© The Times of Israel