哈佛大学的天文学家首次确认了位于另一恒星宜居带内的岩石行星LHS 1140 b拥有大气层[1]。这颗距地球约48光年的行星通过逸出的氦气信号显示其大气存在[1]，为寻找潜在可居住的系外行星提供了关键证据。
研究团队利用智利麦哲伦天文台的WINERED分光仪进行观测，发现该行星的大气可能已保留超过30亿年[1]。这项研究由哈佛大学地球与行星科学博士Collin Cherubim主导，在天文系主任David Charbonneau和环境科学与工程教授Robin Wordsworth的指导下完成[1]。研究成果已于2026年7月16日发表在《科学》杂志上[1]。
Astronomers have identified the first atmosphere surrounding a rocky exoplanet located in the habitable zone of another star.[1] The planet, designated LHS 1140 b and situated approximately 48 light-years from Earth, represents a significant discovery in the search for potentially habitable worlds beyond our solar system.[1] Researchers detected the atmosphere through observations of escaping helium, providing strong evidence that the planetary atmosphere may have persisted for more than 3 billion years.[1]
The discovery was made using the WINERED spectrograph at the Magellan Observatory in Chile and published in Science on July 16, 2026.[1] Leading the research was Collin Cherubim, a doctoral candidate in Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University, working under the advisorship of David Charbonneau, director of Harvard's astronomy program, and Robin Wordsworth, a professor of environmental science and engineering at Harvard.[1]