![Models of mass-loss rate, outflow temperature, and H:He ratio for LHS 1140b in 2024. (A) Models of atmospheric mass-loss rate as a function of outflow temperature, ๐wind. Color indicates the normalized likelihood calculation, where zero corresponds to the maximum likelihood. Black contours indicate 1๐ and 3๐ derivations from the maximum likelihood. Data points with 1๐ error bars are the best-fitting values from the MCMC analysis of the 2024 spectrum of LHS 1140b, assuming an SED normalized to GJ 699 (black) or GJ 1132 (green). All models assumed the GJ 1132-normalized SED and fixed ๐ฃwind the best-fitting value from the MCMC analysis. The dashed gray line shows a theoretical upper limit on the escape rate (see text). The dashed red line shows the theoretical minimum escape rate required to drag atomic oxygen in the outflow. The dashed black and green lines show the energy-limited escape rates calculated with the SEDs normalized by GJ 699 and GJ 1132, respectively. (B) Same as panel A, but as a function of the H:He ratio. Data points with dotted error bars assumed 10 times higher stellar XUV flux. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Helium-escaping.png?resize=1200%2C711&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.EP] Observations of highly irradiated gas giant exoplanets have shown helium escaping from their atmospheres. There is limited evidence for atmospheres on rocky exoplanets, perhaps because they have already escaped.
Habitable Zone
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
The Exozodi Spectral Effect: Residual Habitable Zone Dust May Bias ExoEarth Characterization
[astro-ph.EP] All exoplanetary systems are expected to host exozodiacal dust, or exozodi, originating from planetesimals. For many stars, exozodi will likely be the largest source of astrophysical noise in direct […]
Posted inHabitable Zones
The Expected Yield Of Venus Zone Terrestrial Planets From PLATO
[astro-ph.EP] The characterization of terrestrial exoplanets and the conditions that lead to divergent climate outcomes is a primary goal of exoplanetary science.
Posted inHabitable Zones
Detected: Rocky, Habitable-zone Exoplanet With An Atmosphere
[Carnegie Science] A team of scientists led by Harvard Universityโs Collin Cherubim and including Shreyas Vissapragada and other Carnegie astronomers has detected evidence of an atmosphere on a rocky planet […]
![The figure illustrates the four main phases of low-mass star formation: from the gravitational collapse of the natal core of gas and dust (Prestellar Core), to the main accretion phase (Class 0/I protostar, age โผ104 -105 yr), followed by the protostar and its surrounding protoplanetary disk (Class I/II, age โผ105 -106 yr), and finally the revealed planetary system after the disk has dispersed (Class III, age โผ107 yr). Typical spatial and timescales are indicated for each stage. Generated with Google Gemini 3 Flash and modified. -- [astro-ph.SR]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Cradle-of-Life.png?resize=1200%2C714&ssl=1)
Posted inHabitable Zones
Cradle Of Life: From The Formation Of Stars To Habitable Worlds With The SKAO
[astro-ph.SR] This chapter provides an overview of the different science cases covered by the “Cradle of Life” working group, which aims to leverage the capabilities of the Square Kilometre Array […]
![Cartoon illustrating the effect of the runaway greenhouse transition on atmospheric composition for two rocky planets with identical He, H2O and CO2 inventories. With a thin He atmosphere, planets below the runaway greenhouse limit (right) will have He-rich upper atmospheres and may support surface liquid water. For planets inside the inner edge of the habitable zone (left), H2O from liquid water oceans and CO2 from carbonates are transported into the atmosphere, dramatically decreasing the scale height and making the transit spectrum of the planet flatter. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Climates-of-temperate.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Climates Of Temperate Rocky Planets With He-dominated Atmospheres
[astro-ph.EP] We present radiative-convective modeling of rocky exoplanets with He-dominated atmospheres and low envelope mass fractions. Helium has a steeper adiabatic temperature profile than N2 and H2 as it has […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
The Habitable Worlds Observatory Technology Development Plan
[astro-ph.IM] The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is NASA’s next large space telescope, selected by the 2020 Decadal Survey in Astronomy and Astrophysics to search for and characterize habitable exoplanets while […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Nearby โSuper Earthโ May Be A Better Candidate For Life Than Previously Thought
[UT Austin] Using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory, astronomers have taken a closer look at a nearby exoplanet and discovered it may be more Earth-like than previously thought. The […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
A New Earth-like Exoplanet Discovered
[UC Irvine] A team led by astronomers at the University of California, Irvine reports the discovery of a new Earth-like exoplanet orbiting a star about 25 light-years from our solar […]
Posted inVenus
A Panspermia Origin For Venus Cloud Life
[USRA] Panspermia is the idea that life can originate on one planetary body and then be transferred to other bodies. Impacts are often the suggested method for transfer, as they […]