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UF astronomer’s discovery hints rocky exoplanet may have an atmosphere

A University of Florida assistant professor of astronomy co-authored a new study in Science suggesting that LHS 1140b, a rocky exoplanet he first discovered in 2016, may have its own atmosphere. The Magellan Clay telescope in Chile detected helium escaping from the planet, and given the planet’s age, researchers concluded it must be replenishing that supply — pointing to the existence of an atmosphere. The planet orbits within the habitable zone of a nearby low-mass star about 40 light years away, and further observations through the James Webb and Hubble space telescopes could confirm or rule out an atmosphere within the next several years.

Sources: UF News