Astronomers Detect Helium Escaping From a Rocky, Habitable-Zone Exoplanet

Astronomers directly detected helium escaping from the atmosphere of LHS 1140b, a rocky exoplanet 48 light-years away orbiting in its star's habitable zone — the region where liquid water could exist. Announced July 16, 2026, the Magellan Clay telescope observation is the first direct atmospheric detection for any rocky exoplanet. A computer model had predicted the result before observation.