In a paper published this week in Science1, researchers report their observations of helium escaping from the atmosphere of a rocky exoplanet called LHS 1140b. The finding indicates that LHS 1140b has a helium-rich upper atmosphere, supporting previous evidence that small, rocky planets can have atmospheres. And because LHS 1140b is located in the 'habitable zone' ' the region surrounding a star in which an orbiting planet can maintain liquid water on its surface ' the exoplanet could be a feasible site for life. 'It's been a major goal in the field of exoplanets to find atmospheres on rocky exoplanets,' says Collin Cherubim, an planetary scientist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He adds that for Earth-like life to exist, an atmosphere, liquid water and a rocky surface are required ' and that LHS 1140b could have all three. However, the study can't say for sure whether or not water is present on the exoplanet, and doesn't verify the exact composition of the...
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