Topic: Research News
A team of astronomers has detected an atmosphere around a rocky planet orbiting another star. This is the first time such a discovery has been made, and it suggests that life-supporting planets could exist beyond our solar system.
Astronomers have made a major breakthrough in their search for life on other planets. They have found an atmosphere surrounding an Earth-like planet called LHS 1140 b, which orbits a star about 48 light-years from us. This is the first time an atmosphere has been detected on a rocky planet in the habitable zone of another star.
The discovery was made by Collin Cherubim and his team using a special instrument called the Warm Infrared Echelle (WINERED) Spectrograph at the Magellan Observatory in Chile. They observed a rare alignment where LHS 1140 b and another planet passed in front of their star, allowing them to detect helium escaping from the atmosphere.
The finding is significant because it suggests that planets with conditions similar to Earth's could support life. Cherubim said,
Implications
A team of astronomers has detected an atmosphere around a rocky planet orbiting another star. This is the first time such a discovery has been made, and it suggests that life-supporting planets could exist beyond our solar system.
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