Scientists Find Air Around a Distant Planet That Could Support Water

Scientists have detected helium gas escaping from the air surrounding LHS 1140b, a rocky planet 48 light-years away. The planet orbits in its star's habitable zone — close enough for liquid water to possibly exist. Announced July 16, 2026, and spotted with a telescope in Chile, this is the first time astronomers have detected an atmosphere around a rocky planet beyond our solar system. A computer model predicted the find beforehand.