Is this where aliens are hiding? NASA's James Webb discovers a 'super-Earth' planet 48 light-years away - and it could have the right conditions to harbour life

As agelong arsenic humans person looked up to nan stars, we person been fascinated by nan hunt for life beyond Earth. 

But that hunt whitethorn soon beryllium over, arsenic scientists person discovered a satellite which could beryllium our 'best bet' of uncovering alien life successful nan cosmos. 

An world squad of scientists utilized observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to analyse nan ambiance of an exoplanet called LHS 1140 b. 

Their observations confirmed that nan adjacent satellite could person an water of liquid h2o and moreover a nitrogen-rich ambiance - conscionable for illustration Earth.

Lead writer Charles Cadieux, from Université de Montréal, said: 'Of each presently known temperate exoplanets, LHS 1140 b could good beryllium our champion stake to 1 time indirectly corroborate liquid h2o connected nan aboveground of an alien world beyond our solar system.'

While we don't cognize precisely what alien life would look like, scientists are almost definite that it will request liquid h2o to survive. 

The exoplanet LHS 1140 b is located 48 ray years from Earth successful nan constellation Cetus.

This makes it our nearest neighbouring satellite to beryllium wrong its star's 'Goldilocks zone' - nan region successful which h2o tin beryllium arsenic a liquid.

This exoplanet is astir six times nan wide of Earth and orbits a mini reddish dwarf prima astir one-fifth nan size of our sun astatine a region cool capable for h2o to perchance form.

Recent study suggested that nan exoplanet was importantly little monolithic than an entity of its size should be.

This near researchers pinch 2 options: either LHS 1140 b was a 'mini-Neptune' made mostly of swirling state aliases it was a 'Mega-Earth' covered successful liquid aliases stiff water.

To find which was nan case, researchers mixed information from nan JWST and different abstraction telescopes for illustration Hubble and Spitzer to make nan first 'spectroscopic' study of LHS 1140 b.

Since definite molecules artifact different wavelengths of light, by measuring nan frequencies of ray passing by nan satellite we tin study what chemicals whitethorn beryllium present.

Their study suggests that LHS 1140 b is overmuch much apt to beryllium a 'water world' aliases 'snowball' pinch a rocky halfway alternatively than a gassy mini-Neptune. 

Even much excitingly, nan first study suggests that nan exoplanet mightiness moreover person a heavy ambiance conscionable for illustration nan 1 present connected Earth.

That would springiness it a overmuch greater expertise to clasp power from its prima and make it much apt that it could person a unchangeable ambiance - each important factors for nan beingness of life.  

Dr Ryan MacDonald, an astronomer from nan University of Michigan who worked connected nan paper, says: 'This is nan first clip we person ever seen a hint of an ambiance connected a habitable area rocky aliases ice-rich exoplanet.'

Although they be aware that much observations from JWST are needed, nan ambiance could beryllium rich | successful nitrogen, which makes up 78 per cent of nan ambiance connected Earth. 

Dr Macdonald adds: 'LHS 1140 b is 1 of nan champion mini exoplanets successful nan habitable area tin of supporting a heavy atmosphere, and we mightiness conscionable person recovered grounds of aerial connected this world.'

Just for illustration nan moon's orbit astir nan Earth, LHS 1140 b has a synchronous orbit, meaning 1 broadside is permanently facing distant from its star.

While nan researchers deliberation nan exoplanet is astir apt a stiff 'snowball' this intends location could beryllium liquid h2o connected nan broadside warmed by nan star. 

If LHS 1140 b does person an atmosphere, it apt has a 'Bullseye Ocean' astir 2,400 miles (4,000km) successful diameter - balanced to half nan aboveground area of nan Atlantic Ocean.

And, nan aboveground somesthesia of this water could beryllium a balmy 20°C (68°F) which is connected nan higher extremity of what oversea temperatures scope astir nan UK successful summer. 

While this is not nan first satellite to beryllium discovered wrong its star's habitable zone, it does springiness scientists 1 of nan champion opportunities for further study,

Compared to nan stars orbited by exoplanets successful nan TRAPPIST-1 strategy nan prima orbited by this exoplanet is comparatively calm.

This makes it easier to untangle nan effects caused by its ambiance from nan random sound of sunspots and star flares. 

The researchers opportunity this makes it a unsocial opportunity to study a satellite that could perchance support life.