Scientists found a rocky planet with a possible atmosphere

Astronomers have discovered a planet that emits helium, which may indicate the presence of an atmosphere and warm oceans on it. This is reported by the journal Science.

The publication states that the atmosphere of the rocky exoplanet LHS 1140b periodically emits helium. This may mean that other volatile substances are retained at lower altitudes, which in turn is consistent with atmospheric structure models.

Science also notes that the lower layers of the exoplanet's atmosphere may contain other gases, such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide, as on Earth. If they create a greenhouse effect, an ocean of warm water could exist on the surface.

LHS 1140b is located 49 light-years from Earth and orbits in the red dwarf system LHS 1140 in the constellation Cetus.

In early July, The Astrophysical Journal (AstroJournal) published a paper stating that the nearest super-Earth to our planet, located in the potentially habitable zone of its star, turned out to be significantly lighter than previously thought — meaning it is more similar to our planet than astronomers had assumed.

The object of their study was the exoplanet GJ 3378b, orbiting the red dwarf GJ 3378, which is only 25 light-years from the Sun — practically next door by cosmic standards.