LHS 1140 b
Planet· orbits LHS 1140
LHS 1140 b - a temperate super-Earth (~5.6 Earth masses, ~1.7 Earth radii) transiting in the star's habitable zone. Its measured size and density make it rocky and dense; it is a leading target in the search for a nearby world with water. Its surface has never been seen directly.
Open in 3D viewSee LHS 1140 b in the live, interactive 3D map
Key facts
Mass
3.34 × 10²⁵ kg
5.6 M⊕
Radius
11,022 km
1.73× wider than Earth
Surface gravity
18.4 m/s²
1.87× Earth's gravity
Year
24.74 Earth days
Distance from LHS 1140
14,151,959 km
Science
Physical
- Mass
- 3.34 × 10²⁵ kg · 5.6 M⊕
- Radius
- 11,022 km · 1.73× wider than Earth
- Density
- 5,963 kg/m³ · 6× water
- Computed from mass and radius
- Surface gravity
- 18.4 m/s² · 1.87× Earth's gravity
- Computed from mass and radius
- Escape velocity
- 20.1 km/s · 1.8× Earth's escape velocity
- Computed from mass and radius
Orbital
- Semi-major axis
- 14,151,959 km
- From the NASA Exoplanet Archive (transit + radial-velocity orbit)
- Eccentricity
- 0.043
- From the NASA Exoplanet Archive (transit + radial-velocity orbit)
- Inclination
- 0.00 °
- From the NASA Exoplanet Archive (transit + radial-velocity orbit)
- Orbital period
- 24.7 days
- From the NASA Exoplanet Archive (transit + radial-velocity orbit)
- Perihelion
- 13,543,424 km
- Computed from the orbital elements
- Aphelion
- 14,760,493 km
- Computed from the orbital elements
- Mean orbital velocity
- 41.6 km/s
- Computed from the orbital elements
Composition
- Bulk composition
- A dense rocky super-Earth of ~5.6 Earth masses and ~1.7 Earth radii in the star's habitable zone — its transit gives a real size and density, and it is a headline target in the search for a nearby world with water (JWST began observing it in 2024). The map shows a Visual-mode temperate-world impression, dual-labelled as a concept; the real surface is unknown, and Realism shows an honest flat spectral colour.
- Surface appearance
- Appearance based on ESO/M. Kornmesser's artist's concept. No spacecraft has imaged this world, so its real appearance is unknown — The surface shown is an artistic representation, shown only in Visual mode; Realism shows a plain spectral colour.
Radiation & temperature
- Insolation
- 0.425 S⊕ · 42% of the sunlight Earth receives
- Computed from LHS 1140's luminosity and the orbital distance (inverse-square; Earth's sunlight = 1).
- Equilibrium temperature
- 226 K (-47 °C)
- Computed model value for its habitable-zone orbit — a real measured size/density, but temperature depends on any atmosphere.
Discovery & history
- Method
- Transit detection
- Name
- Designated 'b' under the IAU convention that letters a star's planets 'b', 'c', 'd'... in the order they are discovered (the star itself is the unwritten 'a').
Discovered transiting by the MEarth survey in 2017 and confirmed with HARPS, it is among the best rocky planets for atmospheric study; JWST began observing it in 2024, with tantalising early hints of an atmosphere.
Images
No official imagery available — this object has never been visited and no officially-licensed depiction exists.