If there’s extraterrestrial life anywhere in the galaxy, chances are, it could be on LHS 1140b.
Astronomers have found that the exoplanet 48 light years away is spewing helium into space, a strong sign that it harbors a robust atmosphere, they reported in a new study published in the journal Science.
And that’s not all: it’s also a rocky world like our own, and orbits within its star’s habitable zone, the region around a star where a planet can maintain liquid — and possibly life-harboring — water on its surface.
If their findings are borne out, then it’s the first ever Earth-like exoplanet we’ve seen with an atmosphere stable enough to support life — and could vindicate the belief that there’s a whole host of similar planets out there, rather than our own being a rare anomaly in the cosmos.
“When there’s one, there’s more in exoplanets,” Sara Seager, an astrophysicist at MIT who was not involved in the study, told the New York Times. “Hopefully this is the start of something new.”
“At this point, we have absolutely no evidence for life on the planet,” lead author Collin Cherubim, a planetary scientist at Harvard University, added to the newspaper. “But we think all of the really important, essential ingredients are there.”
Spotting exoplanets is rare. While we have catalogued millions of stars, we have only confirmed around 6,000 worlds outside our solar system. Finding ones with an atmosphere is even rarer, since their signals are faint compared to the light of the planet’s star. In many cases, the planets with atmospheres are gas giants, which are unlikely to support life.
A key detail is that LHS 1140b orbits a red dwarf. Planets around red dwarfs are easier to spot because the diminutive stars are fainter, meaning it’s more noticeable when a planet passes in front of them. But since they emit less heat, a potentially habitable planet needs to orbit much closer to to them than we do our Sun. That could be a problem because red dwarfs are believed to be highly volatile. A closely orbiting planet would be in danger of being battered by solar flares and other powerful outbursts, which could strip it of its atmosphere and sterilize developing lifeforms.
The astronomers, however, found that LHS 1140b has a helium-rich atmosphere despite being — or because it’s in — the star’s habitable zone, demonstrating that the volatility of red dwarfs may not be as much as a problem as once thought (though this one appears to be less active than its cousins). They used a theoretical computer model of exoplanet atmosphere evolution that tracked how lighter elements like hydrogen and helium would be ejected by the outbursts of its host star, Science explained. When they applied it to LHS 1140b, which was first discovered in 2017, it predicted that its upper atmosphere would be dominated by helium, a promising sign that it’s capable of supporting life.
“Twenty years ago we wondered whether other terrestrial-type planets even existed,” Robin Wordsworth, a professor of earth and planetary sciences at Harvard, said in a statement about the work. “Then we learned they’re common, and found some in the habitable zone.”
“The next question was whether any of them had managed to keep an atmosphere,” he added. “Now we know at least one has.”
The researchers behind the historic discovery, which they are calling “a major milestone in the search for life on other planets,” said the detection of an atmosphere on an Earth-like rocky exoplanet offers the strongest evidence to date that worlds with similar compositions and temperatures to Earth that are also capable of supporting life could exist beyond our solar system.
Models Predicted First Earth-like Rocky Habitable Zone Exoplanet Atmosphere
In a statement announcing the detection of an atmosphere around a habitable-zone rocky exoplanet, the discovery was motivated by theoretical predictions suggesting that LHS 1140 b may contain an atmosphere. The planet was even more tantalizing because its orbit around its host red dwarf star allows for liquid water on its surface, a key ingredient for life as we know it.
Although thousands of exoplanets have been confirmed since 1995, including habitable-zone rocky worlds similar in size and composition to Earth, the team notes that determining whether any of these potential Earth analogs maintain an atmosphere. Like water, an atmosphere is considered a likely necessity for life to emerge.
“An atmosphere is essential for a planet to support life as we know it,” explained Collin Cherubim, the lead author of a study detailing the findings, who recently earned his Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Harvard University.
Robin Wordsworth, the Gordon McKay Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering and Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard, said that as recently as twenty years ago, astronomers still didn’t know if other, terrestrial-type planets “even existed.” However, he explained, they quickly found that this type of planet was common, including some orbiting within their star’s habitable zone.
“The next question was whether any of them had managed to keep an atmosphere,” the professor added.
Infrared Observations Confirm Historic First
Before performing any direct observations, the team used computer models to predict what they might find on LHS 1140 b. As noted, those models predicted an upper atmosphere rich in helium. The models also suggested that the atmospheric helium was slowly escaping into space.
To test the model’s predictions, Cherubim and colleagues gained access to the Warm Infrared Echelle (WINERED) Spectrograph on the Magellan Observatory in Chile. The team noted that this powerful telescope allowed them to observe an alignment of LHS 1140 b and another planet transiting its star “on the same night.”
When analyzing the data, the team found that one of the planets appeared to lack any measurable atmosphere. However, as their models had predicted, helium was actively escaping from LHS 1140 b. The finding confirmed that this rocky exoplanet orbiting within its star’s habitable zone was actively maintaining an atmosphere.
David Charbonneau, the head of the Harvard Department of Astronomy and an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and Cherubim’s co-advisor with Wordsworth, was initially skeptical because the entire concept was based on a mathematical prediction of a phenomenon astronomers had never witnessed directly. However, Professor Charbonneau ended up praising the student’s determination and follow-through, which led to the historic detection.
“Collin analyzed the planets we knew about and predicted that this one would have a helium atmosphere,” Charbonneau said. “Then he organized telescope time, got the data, and the detection was statistically rock solid.”
“Hopefully it’s just the First of Many More Observations to Come”
When discussing the implications of the findings, Cherubim noted that “this is the first time anyone has found an atmosphere on a rocky planet in the habitable zone of another star.” Professor Wordsworth agreed, once again noting that until now, planets in these categories with atmospheres had been purely theoretical.
“Now we know at least one has,” the professor said.
The data also suggest that LHS 1140 b’s atmosphere has likely survived for more than three billion years, roughly three-quarters of Earth’s existence. This durability makes LHS 1140 b an excellent candidate for future exoplanet atmosphere studies.
More broadly, the team said that using ground-based observatories to search for escaping gases, such as the helium detected leaving LHS 1140 b, “may become an important tool for studying atmospheres on rocky exoplanets.” They also note the potential value of atmospheric detection for astrobiologists searching for signs of life in the cosmos.
As for Cherubim, he plans on following up his historic discovery with a more detailed analysis of the planet’s atmospheric composition. He also said he would like to investigate the possible presence of surface oceans or other planetary characteristics typically associated with habitability and life. The entire team also said they would like to use Cherubim’s model to search for similar Earth-like, habitable-zone rocky exoplanets.
“This has been a model validation, and hopefully it’s just the first of many more observations to come,” Cherubim said.
Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.
An international team led by Juan Diego Soler at the University of Vienna used two of the world’s most advanced radio telescopes to map neutral atomichydrogen gas across the nebula’s outer shell at unprecedented resolution. The new maps provide a clearer view of the celestial feature, and reveal a previously uncatalogued second bubble—a shell with much less mass than earlier estimates—and a four-light-year filament of gas extending from the structure.
The Orion Nebula’s Miscalculated Bubble
Neutral hydrogen emits a faint radio signal at a wavelength of 21 centimeters, making it possible to trace otherwise invisible gas between the stars. Soler’s team solved this by combining data from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in New Mexico and the FAST telescope in China. The VLA provided high resolution, while FAST picked up faint, widespread signals. Together, they produced the first detailed hydrogen map of the extended Orion Nebula, at the same scale as earlier ionized carbon maps.
Earlier calculations based on ionized carbon estimated that the front half of the shell was about 1,100 times the mass of our Sun. The hydrogen observations paint a different picture, suggesting the shell actually weighs in at closer to 100 solar masses. “Measuring mass is fundamental,” Soler said, “because it tells us about the efficiency of these newly formed stars shaping their environment with wind and radiation.”
A shell with only a tenth of the previously assumed mass significantly alters calculations of how efficiently newly formed stars shape their environment. The researchers note that molecular hydrogen, which is not detected in either the hydrogen or carbon data, may account for some of the missing mass.
A Second Bubble
The hydrogen maps also revealed an uneven distribution of gas, indicating a second, smaller cavity within the main shell. The team searched catalogs of known stars and young stellar objects in the region but found no candidate at the bubble’s center. The source responsible for creating the cavity may not be the type of object included in current catalogs.
Daniel Seifried at the University of Cologne, a co-author on the study, pointed to what that means for the models astronomers build to explain regions like this one. “These stunning observations serve as a reference for many modern astrophysical simulations investigating the evolution of gas and stars in the Milky Way. These are the kind of images that challenge the theoretical models and numerical simulations that we use to understand how massive stars affect their immediate surroundings.”
Previous models generally treated Orion’s shell as the product of a single expanding bubble. The discovery of a second cavity, with no obvious source at its center, instead suggests the nebula was shaped by multiple episodes of stellar feedback.
An Unexpected Filament
The new maps also uncovered a filament of hydrogen extending about four light-years from the shell’s western edge. Previous carbon-based observations saw only the base of this structure. The filament contains about 80 solar masses of hydrogen and does not appear to be associated with any known group of young stars. Its origin is unclear; it could be gas leaking through a weak spot in the shell or a leftover from the original cloud that existed before the bubble formed.
Claire Murray of the Space Telescope Science Institute, another co-author, framed the discovery within the broader push behind the observations. “This study is an exciting demonstration of the power of the latest-generation radio telescopes to uncover new pieces to the star formation puzzle.” Despite being one of the galaxy’s most extensively studied star-forming regions, the Orion Nebula continues to reveal discoveries.
This survey is the first scientific result from the NeAtHood project, which aims to map atomic hydrogen across nearby star-forming regions accessible to the VLA and FAST telescopes. Soler and his colleagues now plan to apply the same approach to additional targets. “Orion is only the beginning. Our newly developed methods show how future interferometers will reveal the hidden structure and dynamics of the interstellar medium—even in regions that astronomers already believed they understood well,” Soler explained.
If one of the sky’s best-studied star-forming regions still contains hidden structures, other nearby nebulae may prove equally surprising as the NeAtHood survey expands.
Austin Burgess is a writer and researcher with a background in sales, marketing, and data analytics. He holds an MBA, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and a data analytics certification. His work focuses on breaking scientific developments, with an emphasis on emerging biology, cognitive neuroscience, and archaeological discoveries.
Outer space: it’s cold, it’s dark, it’s mostly empty. And it’s occasionally very sweet.
Astronomers peering into the heart of our galaxy have spotted traces of erythrulose, the same kind of sugar that’s found in raspberries, kiwis, and other fruits, speckled in a giant gas cloud.
The delectable discovery, detailed in a new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy, is the first time sugar, a key ingredient for life, has been detected in interstellar space.
The detection “tells us that these sugars are more common than we previously thought,” study lead author Izaskun Jiménez-Serra, an astrochemist at Spain’s Centre for Astrobiology, told The Guardian. “It opens the possibility for life to develop on other worlds in a similar fashion to what it did on Earth.”
Sugar’s origins on Earth remain a mystery. Ribose and glucose have been found on asteroids, and some scientists believe that, like water, the compound was first brought here by wayward space rocks that crashed into our planet.
But where are these sugars forming in space? One likely culprit is molecular clouds, the dense regions of the gas and dust that make up the universe’s interstellar medium. These clouds can act as a “chemical factory,” the researchers wrote, fusing disparate atoms together to form more complex substances, with more than 340 molecules having been detected in the interstellar medium so far.
To carry out their saccharine search, the researchers used two radio telescopes in Spain to peer into a molecular cloud near the center of the Milky Way. Where earlier searches would have struggled to make sense of all the noise coming out of the highly dense region, theirs was — quite literally — laser-focused. Another team recently developed a way to recreate sugar’s light signature in space when vaporized with a laser, Scientific American noted, and this allowed them to narrow their focus.
What they found was unexpected. The cloud was swimming in erythrulose, which is made of four carbon atoms. But there were almost no signs of sugars made from three carbon atoms, SciAm explained, cutting against the prevailing belief that sugars gradually formed by adding one carbon atom at a time. This led the team to suspect that the four-carbon sugar was formed by two other organic molecules that each contain a carbon pair.
It’s a major boon for astrobiology. Sugars like ribose and deoxyribose form the backbone of RNA and DNA. And erythrulose in particular can form ribonucleotides, the building blocks of RNA. In all, they estimated that up to 50 million tons of erythrulose could have rained down on Earth while life was still in its primordial age.
“To have suffered this kind of rain of organics, I think that seems to have been a key step,” Jiménez-Serra told The Guardian. “That material could have contributed to prebiotic soups where the first biomolecules were synthesized.”
Researchers at Uppsala University have calculated that the sun contains 55% more silver than previously estimated. The results are based on more realistic modeling of the sun's atmosphere and resolve a long-standing problem of missing silver in the solar system.
Cosmic rays are made primarily of protons with a few electrons sprinkled in, and they can reach energies even higher than what human-made accelerators can produce. Considering human-made accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider on the border of Switzerland and France, can move protons to near the speed of light, it's no wonder that these super-energetic particles can influence cosmic events across the galaxy.
Researchers in the U.S. have carried out the most stringent tests to date of the idea that an ultraviolet glow in the atmospheres of giant planets could partly arise through the indirect interaction between dark matter and ordinary matter. Led by Carlos Blanco at Princeton University, the team's results place some of the tightest constraints yet on the strength of this interaction.
Using spectral data from the Magellan Clay telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, astronomers detected helium escaping from LHS 1140b, a rocky exoplanet that orbits in the habitable zone of the nearby low-mass star LHS 1140.
A new analysis suggests the four sub-Earth exoplanets orbiting Barnard’s star -- the Sun’s nearest single-star neighbor -- are likely packed with the deep-Earth mineral periclase, stripped of their atmospheres and far too hostile to support life.
NEW YORK — A study published last week in Nature Astronomy has proposed a new satellite design and technique to detect thermonuclear warheads in space. Funded in part by the […]
Last summer, astronomers were observing the near approach of a space object believed to be an asteroid that had been tracked since its discovery in 1998. However, in a surprising development, the object failed to appear where it was predicted to be after decades of observations.
Now, a team of researchers reports in a new study that this mysterious orbital body is no asteroid at all, but instead may be an elusive class of space objects that scientists are still working to fully understand.
The research, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, identifies the newly suspected reasons for this unexpected “dark” twist in the developing story of 1998 SH2, a celestial body once thought to be a common space rock that is now upending past thinking on how to protect Earth from potential impact risks.
1998 SH2’s August Surprise
Since its discovery in 1998, the object designated 1998 SH2 has been monitored by astronomers continuously, providing close to three decades of observations that inform us about its orbit, leaving what researchers thought would be little room for surprises.
That all changed last August as the anticipated return of 1998 SH2 approached. Based on radar observations, the object appeared to be absent from its expected orbital path—a mystery that initially baffled astronomers.
Eventually, once the near-Earth object was spotted again by Brazil’s Southern Observatory for Near Earth Asteroids Research, it had moved significantly beyond its expected path. But what could account for such an unusual display?
When AN Asteroid Goes “Dark”
Now, according to Jet Propulsion Lab and CalTech researcher Davide Farnocchia and colleagues, 1998 SH2 was likely steered off course as a result of jets of gas escaping from beneath the object’s surface—a phenomenon known as weak cometary outgassing—meaning that the suspected asteroid is actually probably a type of comet.
However, unlike most comets, this one showed none of the typical characteristics astronomers associate with them, including a glowing tail or coma. This helped to explain the confusion over its initial classification, and additional observations of layered composite imagery did finally reveal these features, albeit faintly.
This confirmation that the object was indeed releasing material meant that 1998 SH2 was a rare variety of space objects known as dark comets, enigmatic bodies whose subtle behavior falls somewhere between comets and asteroids.
Planetary Defense Implications
One of the more concerning aspects of the discovery involves 1998 SH2’s unexpected orbital shift, which presents the question of whether other suspected asteroids might turn out to be dark comets. If so, could any of these shifty space objects pose a risk to Earth?
Fortunately, Farnocchia and his colleagues say there is currently no indication that 1998 SH2 poses an impact threat to Earth in the foreseeable future. Still, the team’s findings do have important implications for planetary defense, since their findings underscore the possibility that additional near-Earth objects currently classified as asteroids may turn out to be hidden comets.
Given the unpredictable orbital shifts and changes in acceleration these objects display, challenges associated with identifying and tracking them could complicate long-term impact forecasts, and influence how future deflection missions are designed.
Fortunately, the team’s study also highlights beneficial findings, which include the possibility that a hidden population of dark comets could potentially resolve questions about how water was delivered throughout the early solar system, eventually making its way to a young planet Earth billions of years ago.
Additionally, such possibilities could help to explain past observations of enigmatic objects like ‘Oumuamua, the first confirmed interstellar object, whose detection in 2017 and unexplained acceleration during subsequent observations have fueled scientific debate over its origins for many years.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached atmicah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.
Most of the gas in the Universe is a mixture of hydrogen and helium. It's thought that the initial atmospheres of most planets also start out that way. However, over billions of years, as planets evolve, the composition of their atmospheres may shift. Hydrogen can react with other chemicals, and both it and helium can be lost to space. Venus, Earth, and Mars are thought to have second atmospheres, with their original hydrogen/helium envelopes having been lost and/or transformed.
The dynamics of loss are complicated. Lighter elements are lost more easily, but hydrogen can be protected by being incorporated into molecules like methane and ammonia. The gravity of the body can help retain some molecules, and a magnetic field can limit radiation's ability to blast material out of the atmosphere. Proximity to a star will matter too, both because of the radiation it produces and because it can heat the atmosphere and expand it to where gravity's influence is less substantial.
Given all these complications, it can be difficult to know what to expect to find on exoplanets. But a study in Wednesday's issue of Nature describes observations of helium being lost from the atmosphere of an exoplanet orbiting the star LHS 1140, about 50 light-years away. Based on the rate at which the helium is being lost, we can infer something about the remaining atmosphere.
Reflect Orbital staff shown standing by one of its large reflective surface components (Credit: Reflect Orbital)
Welcome to this week’s installment of The Intelligence Brief… a controversy has erupted in recent days with the FCC’s approval of a proof-of-concept satellite that reflects daylight to Earth at night, in a move that has astronomers concerned. In our analysis, we’ll be looking at 1) the FCC’s approval of Reflect Orbital’s Eärendil-1 satellite, 2) what the company says about its sunlight mirror orbital technologies, 3) the sharp responses from the astronomical community, and 4) where things go from here as the demonstration satellite heads toward production.
Quote of the Week
“While we fully support American technical innovation in space, this innovation cannot come at the cost of imperiling scientific research, which has been at the forefront of American innovation and global leadership for decades.”
– American Astronomical Society statement
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FCC Approves Launch of Satellite Designed to Reflect Sunlight to Earth’s Nightside
This week, in a controversial ruling that has sky watchers (and others) concerned, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the launch of an experimental satellite crafted to reflect sunlight onto Earth after sunset.
The move has seen significant pushback from astronomers, who now warn that the technology would likely interfere with scientific observations and alter the natural appearance of the night sky.
Dubbed Eärendil 1, the satellite is being developed by the California-based Reflect Orbital as a proof-of-concept for the company’s larger, and potentially even more impactful vision: as many as 50,000 orbiting mirrors capable of directing sunlight to different regions on Earth.
While astronomers have expressed concern over the implementation of such orbital systems, the company says its satellites would offer the possibility for providing illumination after dark in select areas, which could be used to extend the operation hours for solar powered facilities.
Eärendil 1: A Case Study in Controversy
Branding itself as “the sunlight company,” Reflect Orbital says in a statement at its website that it aims to provide “clean, abundant energy available on demand,” because “reliable access to affordable energy is the foundation of human progress, economic growth, and a healthier planet.”
The satellite, which shares its name with Eärendil the Mariner, a character from J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythos, will carry an 18-by-18-meter (59-by-59-foot) reflective Mylar surface that unfolds in orbit after launch. Operating roughly 625 kilometers (390 miles) above Earth, the spacecraft is designed to redirect sunlight onto specific target areas of approximately five kilometers (three miles) in width.
Although many are sounding the alarm about the potential consequences of such technology, the Reflect Orbital says it maintains strict exclusion zones where astronomical operations or “sensitive areas” exist, and that its technology can be carefully deployed only to regions identified as target areas.
According to a FAQ page on the company’s website, the light produced by Eärendil 1 and future members of the company’s constellation will be “contained within the spot” among several other safety features it promotes. The company also says it can turn off the light quickly, and disable it at any time to prevent light from reaching Earth.
“The light is not bright enough to start fires or harm eyes,” the company’s FAQ page states, “even when viewed through a telescope, and cannot be concentrated past maximum natural sunlight irradiance.”
The company’s CEO, Ben Nowack, has argued the concept could improve the economics of solar power overall, allowing Earth-based power systems the ability to harvest additional sunlight before sunrise and after sunset.
Criticism Abounds
The proposal has drawn criticism from several groups, particularly the American Astronomical Society (AAS), which urged the FCC to reject the application.
“The American Astronomical Society (AAS) is dismayed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision on 9 July to grant a license to Reflect Orbital,” the organization said in a statement following the FCC ruling. “As the AAS expressed to the FCC, Reflect Orbital’s proposed satellite, which would reflect sunlight back to Earth at night, carries the potential for significant harm to our members and the broader community of those who depend on a dark night sky.”
“This harm could include damage to sensitive research telescope equipment, potential flash-blinding of pilots and drivers, and — as Reflect Orbital stated in its own FCC filings — potential permanent eye damage to anyone looking through a mid-sized telescope,” the AAS statement adds, noting what appears to be a sharp contrast between information contained in FCC filings, and that which appears on the company’s website.
Further, research cited by the AAS suggests that a full constellation of Reflect Orbital satellites could increase nighttime sky brightness by a factor of two to three, even at remote observatories, due to atmospheric scattering of the reflected light.
“While we fully support American technical innovation in space, this innovation cannot come at the cost of imperiling scientific research, which has been at the forefront of American innovation and global leadership for decades,” the AAS statement concludes.
Beyond FCC Authority
However, in the wording featured in the agency’s approval, the FCC concluded that such concerns fall outside its authority, which is primarily limited to regulating the use of radio-frequency spectrum, adding that it believes the overall likelihood of injury resulting from the launch of the proof-of-concept satellite to be low.
In the meantime, while the FCC’s approval marks an early win for Reflect Orbital, the company has said that it is planning to have independent research commissioned to help assess the technology’s environmental and scientific impacts. Additionally, the company says it plans to coordinate with the National Science Foundation to help ensure that its efforts align with those of the broader scientific community.
Fundamentally, the AAS’s disappointment—a view expressed by other members of the scientific community, argues that the ruling presents broader questions about who should oversee the environmental consequences of future space-based illumination projects, especially if such systems end up becoming more widespread in the years ahead.
“In the absence of another licensing agency that could take these considerations into account, we believe that it is critical for the FCC to consider all of the impacts of the satellite’s use case,” the AAS said in its statement this week.
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