A Whiff of Helium Around a Planet That Might Be Temperate

Reports this summer that helium gas is escaping from the atmosphere of LHS 1140b pushed the exoplanet into mainstream coverage. It is not a planet you could pick out of the sky: it appears some 10,000 times fainter than the feeblest star visible to the naked eye. The interest lies in what it might be — a world that may have a temperature that could allow liquid water on its surface, and just possibly support life.