Ten years after he discovered LHS 1140b, a rocky exoplanet in the habitable zone of a nearby low-mass star, UF’s Jason Dittman is co-author of a study revealing the object may have its own atmosphere. The Magellan Clay telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile showed proof of helium escaping from the planet. However, the planet’s age signals it would have run out of helium unless it was replenishing its own supply, pointing to the potential of an atmosphere.

“We were getting to the point in the field where maybe all of these planets don't have an atmosphere, and we need to look at ones around sun-like stars instead of smaller stars,” says Dittmann. “Then finally here is actually one with an atmosphere, and it happens to be the one that I had spent so many hours working on.” The team will now start looking at signs of carbon dioxide and water to further test the planet’s conditions.

• Jason Dittmann