For the first time, scientists have found a rocky planet with an atmosphere orbiting in a star’s habitable zone. Researchers from Harvard University say the Earth-like world has conditions similar to those on Earth.

The exoplanet, LHS 1140 b, is 48 light-years from Earth. It orbits a red dwarf star at a distance close enough for water to remain liquid, but far enough away that it would not boil.

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[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 38 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (5 children)

Very cool discovery. But just to temper any overly excited reactions...

Whether the atmosphere could support life remains unknown.

Also LHS 1140 b is tidally locked to its red dwarf Star, which means one side of it is constantly facing the star and the other side is always saving away from the star. So the ~~fat~~ far side will be very, very cold. While the doesn't rule out the possibilities of life or a breathable atmosphere, it does complicate all that.

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Being tidally locked could make evolution less dynamic than earth, but it also means there's a Goldilocks zone in there that's always around the right temperature and things could just migrate a little to the east or west to stay within that area. What I find a bit odd is that they would know the approximate gravity of the planet by now, but there's no mention of that in the article. Makes me assume it's bad. Probably too dense for anything but simple life forms.

We need a nice orange dwarf star planet within 15 percent of our own gravity and a good molten core, a moon or two, and a bunch of big ass blocker planets to keep most large asteroids from hitting it and a low enough amount of radioactive crap on it.

[–] Gsus4@mander.xyz 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

I'm trying to imagine the weather: Too hot on the sunny side...too cold on the dark side...and in the sunset/terminator region...sounds nice, but...no...superstorm cells and permanent hypercane-strength winds...maybe underground :/

[–] artifex@piefed.social 32 points 14 hours ago

True, but up till now we didn't even know if a tidally locked planet around a red dwarf could even hold an atmosphere (since red dwarfs tend to have much more powerful x-ray flares, and planets sit much closer to them than our G-type sun). So the fact that this one does have lightweight Helium in the atmosphere would seem to significantly increase the odds that there's life elsewhere, since red dwarfs are super common and if there's 1 that can hold an atmosphere, odds are that there are many, many others.

[–] cattywampas@lemmy.world 16 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

But a habitable ring around the twilight portion sounds very cool and world build-y.

[–] runner_g@piefed.blahaj.zone 4 points 9 hours ago

I'm pretty sure there was a Vin Diesel movie with that premise.

[–] andyburke@fedia.io 8 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

Aren't there issues with constant and unsurvivable wind as atmosphere is heated on the sunward side and cold atmo from the leeward rushes in underneath?

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 12 points 13 hours ago

It'd be an interesting environment. What if the atmosphere was thin so the winds were fast, but not strong? Lots of variables to consider, and I'm sure if life could start, it'd find a niche to live in.

[–] cattywampas@lemmy.world 7 points 13 hours ago

It's not unsurvivable if the organisms there have evolved to survive it.

[–] Mobiuthuselah@mander.xyz 5 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

Reminds me of an excerpt from Kurt Vonnegut's The Sirens Of Titan: https://www.flickr.com/photos/romasita/2766136797

[–] dharmacurious@slrpnk.net 1 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

So the fat side will be very, very cold

Well, that's why it has all that blubber! To keep it warm.

[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Damnit autocorrect!

But your reply genuinely made me chuckle.

[–] dharmacurious@slrpnk.net 2 points 9 hours ago

I had a fantastic mental image of a blubbery planet, so we both got a good chuckle from this