Star with planets

LHS 1140

Also GJ 3053

Open in Ouranos

LHS 1140 — Artist's impression of LHS 1140b — Artist's impression, not a photograph.Artist's impression of LHS 1140b. Credit: ESO/spaceengine.org. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Source

A red dwarf whose planet LHS 1140 b, probably a water world or a small mini-Neptune, lies in its habitable zone and has been studied by JWST.

Measured

Distance: 49 light-years
Constellation: Cetus
Position (J2000): RA 0h 44m 59s, Dec −15.27°

How far, from the Sun

48.8 light-years. To cross it:

Light48.8 years
Voyager 1's speed867,000 years
Driving at 100 km/h527 million years

Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.

Facts

LHS 1140 b has about 5.6 Earth masses and orbits in its star's habitable zone.
Its year lasts about 25 days.
Its low density suggests it may be rich in water, at 9 to 19% of its mass. JWST data in 2024 ruled out a hydrogen-rich atmosphere, but did not show water.

Where this comes from

Gaia DR3 parallax 66.8287 ± 0.0479 mas, Gaia DR3 2371032916186181760 (Gaia Collaboration 2023, A&A 674, A1)

Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.