EP 26: Signals From Elsewhere

In this episode, we explore two discoveries reshaping the search for habitable worlds beyond our Solar System. First, we examine LHS 1140 b, a rocky exoplanet in the habitable zone that has retained an atmosphere despite orbiting an active red dwarf, and how detecting escaping helium could help scientists understand its potential for habitability. Then, we investigate the hidden challenge of exozodiacal dust and how leftover cosmic dust can distort exoplanet spectra, mimic clouds, and p...