New contender in hunt for alien life discovered by astronomers

Exoplanet LHS 1140b is believed to be about 40% larger than Earth and lies 39 light years away in the constellation of Cetus, orbiting a red dwarf star

An artist’s impression of exoplanet LHS 1140b, described by Jason Dittmann at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics as the most exciting he had seen in 10 years. Photograph: ESO/spaceengine.org 

A rocky planet that orbits a red dwarf star has been revealed as the latest contender for the best place to hunt for life beyond the solar system.

The newfound world was spotted as it crossed the face of its parent star and cast an almost imperceptible shadow that was detected by the MEarth-South observatory in the Chilean desert.

The planet lies 39 light years away and is believed to lurk in the habitable zone – where liquid water could support life as we know it – around a star named LHS 1140 in the constellation of Cetus, the sea monster.
Jason Dittmann at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics said the new exoplanet, known as LHS 1140b, was the most exciting he had seen in 10 years. “We could hardly hope for a better target to perform one of the biggest quests in science: searching for evidence of life beyond Earth,” he said.
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