Three Planets Orbit Nearby Red Dwarf LHS 1140

Astronomers using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the Echelle SPectrograph for Rocky Exoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observations (ESPRESSO) instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope have revisited the planetary system LHS 1140 with its two known Earth-like planets. Their results show strong evidence for the signal of a third planet in the LHS 1140 system.

LHS 1140 is a cool low-mass star approximately 39 light-years away in the constellation of Cetus.

Also known as Gliese 3053, GJ 3053 and 2MASS J00445930-1516166, the star is about one-fifth the size of the Sun and approximately 5 billion years old.

LHS 1140 is known to host two transiting planets at orbital periods of 3.77 and 24.7 days.

The external planet, LHS 1140b, is a super-Earth with a mass of 6.5 Earth masses. It possesses a rocky composition and lies within the habitable zone of the star.

The inner planet, LHS 1140c, is a rocky word with a mass of 1.8 Earth masses.

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Image credit: Sci-News.com.

An artist’s impression of the planetary system LHS 1140.

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Exoplanet LHS 1140b – a potentially habitable super-Earth?

Some 39 light-years from Earth, in the constellation of Cetus, a red dwarf star is orbited by a super-Earth.

LHS 1140b lies in the middle of the habitable zone and has 1.4 times the radius and 6.6 times the mass of Earth. LHS 1140b likely retained most of its atmosphere.