The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has made an exciting discovery about a distant exoplanet known as LHS-1140b. Initially thought to be a “mini-Neptune,” new findings suggest that this planet could actually be an “eyeball” planet with a unique composition that includes a potentially habitable liquid substellar ocean surrounded by ice.
LHS-1140b, located 50 light-years away from Earth, is about 1.73 times larger than our planet and 5.6 times more massive. It is tidally locked to its host star, meaning it has a permanent day side and night side. Despite its close proximity to its star, which would typically make a planet uninhabitable, LHS-1140b falls within the habitable zone due to its star being a cooler red dwarf.
Using the JWST’s Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph, researchers were able to study the planet’s atmosphere by analyzing the light passing through it from its host star. They found evidence of nitrogen, similar to Earth’s atmosphere, and determined that the planet is not dense enough to be made of rock, pointing towards an icy composition.
While most of LHS-1140b may be frozen, the researchers believe that there could be a region on the planet’s surface, referred to as the “iris” side, where temperatures reach a potentially habitable 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius). This could create a suitable environment for marine life to exist on this icy world.
The discovery of LHS-1140b has sparked excitement among scientists as it represents a promising candidate for finding liquid water on an exoplanet beyond our solar system. Further observations and studies are needed to confirm the presence of an atmosphere on this distant world and to potentially detect other key elements like carbon dioxide.
The findings from the JWST’s observations of LHS-1140b highlight the telescope’s capabilities in exploring distant worlds and pushing the boundaries of our understanding of exoplanets. This discovery opens up new possibilities for finding other potentially habitable worlds and advancing our search for extraterrestrial life in the universe.
