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LHS 1140 b
Super-Earth orbiting LHS 1140 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
![]() Artist's impression of the planet LHS 1140 b and its host star | |
Discovery[1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | MEarth Project |
Discovery date | 20 April 2017 (Published) |
Transit | |
Orbital characteristics[2] | |
0.0946±0.0017 AU | |
Eccentricity | <0.043 |
24.7369148±0.0000058 d[3] | |
Inclination | 89.86°±0.04° |
Star | LHS 1140 |
Physical characteristics[2] | |
1.730±0.025 R🜨 | |
Mass | 5.60±0.19 M🜨 |
Mean density | 5.9±0.3 g/cm3 |
Temperature | 226±4 K (−47 °C; −53 °F, equilibrium) |