First Rocky Exoplanet With Confirmed Atmosphere Found in Habitable Zone

Astronomers have detected helium escaping from the atmosphere of LHS 1140b, a rocky super-Earth orbiting within the habitable zone of a small red dwarf star approximately 48 light-years from Earth. Published in the journal Science on July 17, 2026, this groundbreaking detection marks the first confirmed atmosphere on a rocky exoplanet in the habitable zone. Using transmission spectroscopy, scientists detected the atmospheric helium as LHS 1140b transits its host star, revealing a world that may have supported liquid water oceans for billions of years. LHS 1140b orbits a quiet red dwarf star, making its atmosphere far more likely to survive than planets around more active stars like TRAPPIST-1. Source: Science journal (LHS 1140b helium detection, July 17, 2026) / Space Daily coverage Subscribe to Historiae Orbis Terrarum for more stories from the frontiers of space and discovery! #NASA #Exoplanet #LHS1140b #HabitableZone #Astronomy #Space #RedDwarf #TransitSpectroscopy #Cosmos #Science #HistoriaeOrbisTerrarum