Researchers say new telescope observations suggest an Earth-like planet outside our solar system may hold a large liquid ocean.
研究人员表示，新的望远镜观测结果表明，太阳系外的一颗类地行星可能拥有巨大的液态海洋。
The exoplanet is known as LHS 1140 b. Astronomers believe it sits about 48 light years away from Earth. A light year is the distance light travels in a year – about 9.5 trillion kilometers.
这颗系外行星被称为 LHS 1140 b。天文学家认为它距地球约 48 光年。一光年是光一年传播的距离——大约9.5万亿公里。
The research – led by astronomers at the University of Montreal in Canada – shows the possibility the exoplanet might hold the right conditions to support some form of life. A study explaining the findings recently appeared in The Astrophysical Journal Letters .
这项由加拿大蒙特利尔大学天文学家领导的研究表明，这颗系外行星可能拥有支持某种生命形式的适当条件。最近发表在《天体物理学杂志快报》上的一项研究解释了这一发现。
The study is based on observations collected in December 2023 by the James Webb Space Telescope. The American space agency NASA operates the orbiting observatory.
该研究基于詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜 2023 年 12 月收集的观测结果。美国宇航局NASA负责运营轨道天文台。
Researchers combined the information from the James Webb with existing data to make new estimates for the exoplanet’s mass and size. These suggest that LHS 1140 b is “a promising super-Earth ice or water world,” the University of Montreal said in a statement.
研究人员将詹姆斯·韦伯的信息与现有数据结合起来，对系外行星的质量和大小做出了新的估计。蒙特利尔大学在一份声明中表示，这些表明 LHS 1140 b 是“一个有前途的超级地球冰或水世界”。
Some past studies had suggested the exoplanet might be a gas giant, also known as a mini-Neptune. But the researchers said the new study provides evidence that LHS 1140 b is more likely a super-Earth, a rocky planet bigger than Earth.
过去的一些研究表明，这颗系外行星可能是一颗气态巨行星，也被称为迷你海王星。但研究人员表示，这项新研究提供的证据表明，LHS 1140 b 更有可能是一颗超级地球，一颗比地球还大的岩石行星。
The new research supports a NASA-led study from October 2023 that suggested at least 17 observed exoplanets could hold oceans of liquid water. That study noted that sometimes water from these oceans likely breaks through large pieces of ice to form geysers .
这项新研究支持了 NASA 自 2023 年 10 月起领导的一项研究，该研究表明至少 17 颗观测到的系外行星可能存在液态水海洋。该研究指出，有时这些海洋中的水可能会冲破大块冰层，形成间歇泉。
Scientists had already identified LHS 1140 b as being within its star’s “ habitable zone.” Exoplanets found within this zone are believed to have temperatures that would permit water to exist in liquid form.
科学家们已经确定 LHS 1140 b 位于其恒星的“宜居带”内。据信在该区域发现的系外行星的温度允许水以液体形式存在。
Measurements made by the James Webb data suggest the exoplanet “is less dense” than expected for a rocky, Earth-like body. The researchers estimated that 10 to 20 percent of LHS 1140 b’s mass might be made up of water. The possibility of a large liquid ocean would be found on the side of the planet always facing the star that it orbits.
詹姆斯·韦伯数据进行的测量表明，这颗系外行星的密度“低于”岩石类地天体的预期。研究人员估计 LHS 1140 b 质量的 10% 到 20% 可能是由水组成的。在始终面向其绕轨道运行的恒星的行星一侧，可能存在巨大的液体海洋。
The new data collected by the James Webb showed the exoplanet might also have a nitrogen-rich atmosphere. This differs from earlier research that suggested a possible atmosphere that was mostly hydrogen.
詹姆斯·韦伯收集的新数据表明，这颗系外行星可能也有富含氮的大气层。这与早期的研究不同，早期的研究表明大气可能主要是氢气。
Charles Cadieux is a doctoral student at the University of Montreal’s Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets. He was the lead writer of the study.
查尔斯·卡迪厄 (Charles Cadieux) 是蒙特利尔大学特罗蒂尔系外行星研究所的博士生。他是该研究的主要作者。
Cadieux said in a statement, “Of all currently known temperate exoplanets, LHS 1140 b could well be our best bet to one day indirectly confirm liquid water on the surface of an alien world beyond our solar system.” He noted that if the study’s findings can be confirmed, the data would represent “a major milestone ” in the search for exoplanets that could possibly support life.
卡迪厄在一份声明中表示，“在目前已知的所有温带系外行星中，LHS 1140 b 很可能是我们最好的选择，有一天我们可以间接确认太阳系以外的外星世界表面存在液态水。”他指出，如果这项研究的结果得到证实，这些数据将成为寻找可能支持生命的系外行星的“一个重要里程碑”。
René Doyon is a project scientist at the University of Montreal. He helped lead the research. He said more observations will be needed to confirm the current study’s findings. “The current hint of a nitrogen-rich atmosphere begs for confirmation with more data,” Doyon said.
René Doyon 是蒙特利尔大学的项目科学家。他帮助领导了这项研究。他说需要更多的观察来证实当前研究的结果。 “目前存在富氮大气的迹象需要更多数据来证实，”多扬说。
He estimated that at least one more year of observations will be needed “to confirm that LHS 1140 b has an atmosphere.”
他估计至少还需要一年的观测才能“确认 LHS 1140 b 拥有大气层”。
The process of confirming whether carbon dioxide is present in the atmosphere and liquid water exists on the surface would likely require several years of observations, Doyon noted.
多扬指出，确认大气中是否存在二氧化碳以及地表是否存在液态水的过程可能需要数年的观察。
Ryan MacDonald is a NASA Sagan Fellow in the University of Michigan’s Department of Astronomy who helped examine the James Webb data. He said , “This is the first time we have ever seen a hint of an atmosphere on a habitable zone rocky or ice-rich exoplanet.”
瑞安·麦克唐纳 (Ryan MacDonald) 是密歇根大学天文学系的美国宇航局萨根研究员，他帮助检查了詹姆斯·韦伯的数据。他说：“这是我们第一次在宜居带岩石或富含冰的系外行星上看到大气层的迹象。”
With further data collection and investigation, MacDonald noted there is a good possibility “we might just have found evidence of air on this world.”
麦克唐纳指出，随着进一步的数据收集和调查，“我们很可能已经在这个世界上发现了空气的证据”。