In a First, 'Super-Earth' Planet Shows It Could Have an Atmosphere

“Scientists say they have detected promising signs that a planet orbiting a star 49 light-years from Earth could have an atmosphere,” reports CNN, “making it potentially suitable for life.” Called LHS 1140b, the object is about five times the mass of our planet, or a “super-Earth.” This planet orbits around its star in the “Goldilocks zone,” also known as the habitable zone, meaning its surface temperature is not too hot or too cold for liquid water to exist… “It appears to be consistent with Earth, meaning it might have an iron core and a silicate mantle, plus some sort of low-density compo