First atmosphere found on Earth-like planet in habitable zone of distant star
First atmosphere found on Earth-like planet in habitable zone of distant star
科学家首次在遥远恒星宜居带的类地行星上发现大气层
Researchers have found the first atmosphere surrounding an Earth-like, rocky planet orbiting within the habitable zone of a distant star. 研究人员首次发现了一颗围绕遥远恒星宜居带运行的类地岩石行星，其周围存在大气层。
The researchers say that their discovery provides the strongest evidence yet that worlds with conditions similar to Earth could exist beyond our solar system. 研究人员表示，这一发现提供了迄今为止最有力的证据，表明太阳系外可能存在条件与地球相似的世界。
The gas detected in the atmosphere is helium, which would not be able to support life, but other gasses may also be present. 目前在大气层中探测到的气体是氦气，这种气体本身无法支持生命存在，但大气中可能还存在其他气体。
The lead author, Dr Collin Cherubim of Harvard University, described the discovery as “a big deal”. “This is the first time anyone has found an atmosphere on a rocky planet in the habitable zone of another star.” 该研究的主要作者、哈佛大学的科林·切鲁宾（Collin Cherubim）博士称这一发现“意义重大”。“这是人类首次在另一颗恒星宜居带的岩石行星上发现大气层。”
The planet, called LHS 1140 b, is 48 light-years from Earth orbiting a red star much smaller and cooler than our Sun. More than 6,000 worlds have been discovered orbiting distant stars. But the new discovery is significant because it brings us a step closer to one of the biggest prizes in science: the discovery of life on another world. 这颗名为 LHS 1140 b 的行星距离地球 48 光年，围绕一颗比太阳更小、温度更低的红矮星运行。目前人类已发现 6000 多颗围绕遥远恒星运行的行星，但这一新发现意义非凡，因为它让我们离科学界最大的目标之一——发现地外生命——又近了一步。
The researchers, writing in the journal Science, are clear – they have not done that, at least not yet. But for a planet to support life it has to have water and for that it has to be the right distance from its star: not too close because it will be too hot and not too far, because it will be too cold – but somewhere in between where it will be “just right”. Planetary scientists call this the “Goldilocks zone”, after the fairy tale girl who was fussy about the temperature of her porridge. 研究人员在《科学》杂志上发表文章时明确表示，他们尚未实现这一目标，至少目前还没有。但一颗行星若要支持生命存在，必须拥有水，而这要求它与恒星保持适当的距离：不能太近（否则温度过高），也不能太远（否则温度过低），必须处于“恰到好处”的中间地带。行星科学家将其称为“金发姑娘区”（Goldilocks zone），这个名字源于童话故事中那个对粥的温度非常挑剔的小女孩。
Hundreds of planets have been found in the Goldilocks zones of their respective stars – but only a few dozen are small and rocky – like our own Earth – which is another tick for a planet’s ability to support life. But none of those have been found to have an atmosphere. Until now. 科学家已经在各自恒星的“金发姑娘区”发现了数百颗行星，但其中只有几十颗像地球一样属于小型岩石行星，这是行星支持生命能力的另一个关键指标。然而，此前从未有任何一颗被发现拥有大气层，直到现在。
But the only gas discovered in the atmosphere so far is helium, probably in the upper atmosphere, which on its own would not support life. But there may be other, more life-sustaining gases, lower down. Dr David Charbonneau, also from Harvard, said that the important thing was the discovery of an Earth-like planet outside of our solar system with an atmosphere. 目前在大气层中发现的唯一气体是氦气，它可能存在于高层大气中，本身无法支持生命。但在更低的大气层中，可能还存在其他更有利于生命存在的气体。同样来自哈佛大学的大卫·查博诺（David Charbonneau）博士表示，最重要的是在太阳系外发现了一颗拥有大气层的类地行星。
“People are generally interested in the big questions: Are we alone? Is there life beyond the Earth or beyond our solar system? To that end, this study reveals the first atmosphere discovered on a rocky planet in the habitable zone of a star outside of our solar system,” he said. “人们通常对一些宏大的问题很感兴趣：我们是孤独的吗？地球之外或太阳系之外是否存在生命？从这个角度来看，这项研究揭示了人类首次在太阳系外恒星宜居带的岩石行星上发现的大气层。”他说。
LHS 1140b isn’t the only world under scrutiny in the search for life. K2-18b, a sub-Neptune with a possible water-rich interior, made headlines when scientists spotted signs of dimethyl sulphide — a gas linked to marine life on Earth. LHS 1140b 并不是寻找生命过程中唯一受到关注的行星。K2-18b 是一颗亚海王星，其内部可能富含水分。当科学家发现二甲基硫醚（一种与地球海洋生物有关的气体）的迹象时，这颗行星曾登上新闻头条。
But a Nasa-led reanalysis in 2025 found the signal too weak to confirm, and showed the gas can form without biology. The seven rocky worlds of TRAPPIST-1 remain tantalising, too: Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope ruled out an Earth-like atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1d, while TRAPPIST-1e’s data stay frustratingly inconclusive. 但 2025 年由美国国家航空航天局（NASA）主导的一项重新分析发现，该信号过于微弱，无法证实，并表明这种气体可以在没有生物参与的情况下形成。TRAPPIST-1 系统的七颗岩石行星也依然令人着迷：NASA 的詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜排除了 TRAPPIST-1d 拥有类地大气的可能性，而 TRAPPIST-1e 的数据则依然令人沮丧地无法得出结论。