Astronomers Found the First Atmosphere on a Planet in Another Star's Habitable Zone
Science has discovered around 6,000 planets, and this is the first one, other than Earth, that is rocky and has an atmosphere.
3 min read
The search for life beyond Earth has borne little fruit. That remains true, but scientists have some renewed hope. For the first time, astronomers discovered an atmosphere surrounding an exoplanet within the habitable zone of its host star.
Say hello to LHS 1140b, an Earth-like rocky planet that lives approximately 48 light-years away from us. For reference, Voyager 1 is rapidly approaching its first light day after nearly 50 years in flight. LHS 1140b sits in the "Goldilocks" zone for its star, which means it's far enough away to not get roasted like Mercury, but close enough that it gets warm enough to support liquid water.
According to a new studypublished in Science, the "special" part of this discovery is not just the habitable...
Copyright of this story solely belongs to cnet.com. To see the full text click HERE
