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NASA's Webb Telescope Identifies Promising Water World 48 Light-Years Away

LHS 1140 b, located in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star, could harbor liquid water and a nitrogen-rich atmosphere.

LHS 1140 b may be a world completely covered in ice (left) similar to Jupiter’s moon Europa or be an ice world with a liquid substellar ocean and a cloudy atmosphere (center). This planet is about 1.7 times the size of our planet Earth.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope discovered a super-Earth exoplanet that may have an ocean of water approximately the size of the Atlantic.

Overview

  • LHS 1140 b is 1.7 times the size of Earth and orbits a red dwarf star in the constellation Cetus.
  • The exoplanet is potentially covered in ice or contains a liquid water ocean, making it a top candidate for habitability.
  • Initial findings suggest LHS 1140 b has a nitrogen-rich atmosphere similar to Earth's.
  • Further observations with the James Webb Space Telescope are needed to confirm the presence of water and other gases.
  • Scientists consider LHS 1140 b the best current candidate for finding liquid water on an exoplanet.