Astronomers have for the first time detected an atmosphere around an Earth-like planet just 39 light years away, a significant step towards the detection of life beyond our solar system.
Scientists, including those from Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, studied the planet known as GJ 1132b, which is 1.4-times the size of our planet. They imaged the planet’s host star, GJ 1132, and measured the slight decrease in brightness as the planet and its atmosphere absorbed some of the starlight while passing directly in front of their host star. The super-Earth GJ 1132b marks the first time an atmosphere has been detected around a planet with a mass and radius close to Earth’s mass and radius researchers said. (IANS)
