The exoplanet LHS 1140 b may be a water world with cold conditions, according to evidence acquired by the James Webb Space Telescope. Some have hypothesized that this planet may be habitable if it contains an atmosphere comparable to Earth’s.
The planet shares many similarities with Neptune, including its thick atmosphere of hydrogen and helium gas, which led scientists to believe it was a mini-Neptune. Its orbit takes place within the habitable zone of its red dwarf star, and it is just 48 light-years from Earth. Due to the amount of radiation it gets from the star, it may be able to sustain life with water.
New information from the JWST points to LHS 1140 b as a “super-Earth” with a lot of water and rocky or ice components. This makes it an even more intriguing avenue in the hunt for alien life.
Ryan MacDonald, a NASA Sagan Fellow, said this is the first instance where an atmosphere has been observed on a potentially habitable exoplanet within the rocky or ice-rich zone.
McDonald is also the co-author of a manuscript approved for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. One primary goal of JWST is to find planets with atmospheres that are tiny and rocky compared to the atmospheres of massive planets; these signals are far more challenging to detect.
Among the tiny exoplanets in the habitable zone, LHS 1140 b stands out as one that might support a thick atmosphere.
Since its 2017 discovery, the exoplanet has piqued scientists’ curiosity because of its proximity to the solar system and its mass, which is more than six times that of Earth.
The researchers’ investigation suggests that the object in question may have a nitrogen-rich atmosphere, lending credence to a particular theory. The exoplanet would have a vast ocean covering 2,485 miles of surface and a pleasant 68 degrees Fahrenheit if that were the case.
