Rocky World LHS 1140b Might Harbor an Atmosphere, Scientists Say

Scientists report promising signs that the rocky exoplanet LHS 1140b, about 49 light-years away in its star’s habitable zone, could have an atmosphere after detecting helium during a transit, a hint that it may have lost its hydrogen but retained helium and possibly other gases. If confirmed, this would make LHS 1140b the first known rocky planet in a habitable zone with an atmosphere, a major step for habitability studies. However, a 2025 follow-up failed to re-detect helium, so further observations with JWST and Hubble are planned to confirm the signal and search for other atmospheric components such as water.