SMRTR Science & EngineeringJul 16, 2026Ars Technica

We've seen helium baked off a rocky exoplanet's atmosphere

SMRTR summary

Astronomers have detected helium escaping from the atmosphere of LHS 1140b, a rocky exoplanet 50 light-years away. This tells scientists that hydrogen is already gone, while heavier elements like oxygen and nitrogen likely remain. The planet sits just outside its star's "cosmic shoreline," where atmospheres can survive long-term.

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