LHS 1140 b

LHS 1140 b
Artist's impression of the planet LHS 1140 b and its host star
Discovery[1]
Discovered byMEarth Project
Discovery date20 April 2017 (Published)
Transit
Orbital characteristics[2]
0.0946±0.0017 AU
Eccentricity<0.043
24.7369148±0.0000058 d[3]
Inclination89.86°±0.04°
StarLHS 1140
Physical characteristics[2]
1.730±0.025 R🜨
Mass5.60±0.19 M🜨
Mean density
5.9±0.3 g/cm3
Temperature226±4 K (−47 °C; −53 °F, equilibrium)

LHS 1140 b is an exoplanet orbiting within the conservative habitable zone of the red dwarf LHS 1140. Discovered in 2017 by the MEarth Project,[1] LHS 1140 b is about 5.6 times the mass of Earth and about 70% larger in radius, putting it within the super-Earth category of planets. It was initially thought to be a dense rocky planet, but refined measurements of its mass and radius have found a lower density, indicating that it is likely an ocean world with 9-19% of its mass composed of water. LHS 1140 b orbits entirely within the star's habitable zone and gets 43% the incident flux of Earth.[2] The planet is 49 light-years away and transits its star, making it an excellent candidate for atmospheric studies with ground-based and/or space telescopes.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Dittmann2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Cadieux2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Edwards2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).