Astronomers have, for the first time, confirmed the presence of an atmosphere around a rocky Earth-like planet orbiting within the habitable zone of another star, marking a major milestone in the search for life beyond the solar system. The planet, known as LHS 1140 b, lies about 48 light-years from Earth and orbits a cool red dwarf star. Scientists say it is the first rocky planet in a habitable zone where an atmosphere has been directly detected, raising hopes that worlds capable of supporting life may be more common than previously thought. The discovery was made by an international team of astronomers led by Harvard University researcher Collin Cherubim, who identified helium escaping from the planet's atmosphere using advanced infrared observations. The findings were published in the journal Science. Researchers said the detection suggests LHS 1140 b has retained its atmosphere for billions of years despite orbiting a red dwarf star, whose radiation was once thought to strip nearby planets of their atmospheres. "An atmosphere is essential for a planet to support life as we know it," Cherubim said, describing the finding as the first confirmed atmosphere on a rocky planet in another star's habitable zone. Scientists caution that the discovery does not mean life has been found. While the planet appears to have the right temperature, a rocky surface and an atmosphere—three key ingredients considered important for habitability—there is currently no evidence that living organisms exist there. LHS 1140 b is around 70 percent larger than Earth and has about 5.6 times Earth's mass. Some models suggest it could contain vast amounts of water beneath its atmosphere, making it a possible "water world." Astronomers say the breakthrough provides a new way to study Earth-sized planets beyond the solar system and could accelerate the search for signs of life elsewhere in the universe. Future observations with more powerful telescopes are expected to determine the atmosphere's full composition and assess whether the planet could truly be habitable.