Atmosphere Detected on Rocky Exoplanet in Habitable Zone Sparks Hope for Surface Water

Researchers report the first observational evidence of an atmosphere on a rocky exoplanet in its star’s habitable zone—LHS 1140b, about 49 light-years away—raising the possibility of surface liquid water and making it a prime target for studying habitability around red dwarfs. The team observed helium escaping from the planet in 2024 with a Magellan telescope infrared spectrograph, a signal later not detected in 2025, but after ruling out false positives they say the discovery marks a crucial step toward understanding life-supporting conditions beyond our solar system, while LHS 1140c shows no detectable atmosphere.