要点
- Harvard University researchers detected an atmosphere on a rocky exoplanet in the habitable zone for the first time.
- The planet named LHS 1140 b is located in the orbit of a calm red dwarf star 48 light-years away from Earth.
- Scientists confirmed the atmosphere by using a theoretical model and the WINERED spectrograph to detect helium escaping into space.
- No life was found on the planet, but the presence of this atmosphere, which has lasted for more than 3 billion years, offers hope for liquid water research.
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After decades of research, scientists have detected an atmosphere on a rocky exoplanet located in the habitable zone for the first time. This historic discovery, conducted by researchers from Harvard University, was published in the prestigious Science journal on 16 July. Confirming the atmospheric conditions necessary for the emergence of life in space on another planet is considered a significant milestone in the field of astrobiology.
The studied planet is a celestial body named LHS 1140 b, which orbits a red dwarf star approximately 48 light-years away from Earth. The star that the planet orbits has a relatively calmer nature, instead of violent explosions that could destroy the atmosphere. This feature has allowed the planet to retain its gas layer for billions of years and has enabled studies to be conducted.
The research team relied on a theoretical model developed by Collin Cherubim and the WINERED spectrograph to confirm the planet's atmosphere. Although no direct life form has been found on the planet, this finding has accelerated the search for liquid water on the surface of LHS 1140 b, which completes its orbit in just 25 days and is colder than Earth. The next goal of the scientists will be to analyze the exact composition of the said atmosphere.
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よくある質問
- Did scientists find life on the planet LHS 1140 b?
- No, no life form was found on the planet. However, researchers confirmed the presence of an atmosphere, which is one of the fundamental conditions required for life to emerge.
- How was the planet's atmosphere detected?
- After examining whether the planet fits a theoretical atmospheric model, researchers precisely confirmed the atmosphere by observing helium gas escaping into space around the planet through the WINERED spectrograph.
- Why is this discovery important in terms of astrobiology?
- Because this is the first time the presence of an atmosphere has been proven on a rocky exoplanet located in a habitable zone. This situation paves the way for investigating whether there is liquid water on the planet's surface in future studies.