The Most Promising Alien Planet We've Ever Found?

我们发现的最有潜力的外星行星?

New Scientist Podcasts

2026-07-20

11 分钟
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Episode 387 Two big interstellar discoveries have hit the headlines. One is the discovery of the first atmosphere ever found on a small, rocky exoplanet that could host alien life. The planet LHS 1140b is about 50 light years from Earth and sits in the “Goldlocks” zone, meaning it’s close enough to its star to be habitable. So what do we know about its atmosphere – and could it be just like Earth? The second story is of sugar molecules discovered in interstellar space for the first time – detected in a cosmic cloud nearly 27 light years away. Researchers believe this sugar could have formed before the solar system itself. Find out more with Senior Editor Chelsea Whyte and Space Reporter Leah Crane. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Image credits: Chester Harman, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 via Wikimedia Commons ESO/spaceengine.org, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  • The Goldilocks Zone is the region in a planetary system

  • where it's not too hot and not too cold, so you can get liquid water on the surface.

  • And it is planets in this zone that astronomers

  • are especially interested in, because those are more likely to have life.

  • And for the first time, we've detected an atmosphere on one.

  • Also, scientists have detected sugar molecules in interstellar space for the first time.

  • Both of these results are a big deal in the search for alien life,

  • and that's what we're getting into today on The World, the Universe, and Us.

  • I'm Senior Editor Chelsea White, joined by space reporter Leah Crane.

  • Hi, Leah.

  • Hello.