Scientists just expanded the search for rocky alien worlds with air

LHS 1140 b and LTT 1445 Ab are the latest targets in a high-priority observing program with NASA ’s James Webb Space Telescope.

The new pair brings the number of targets in the project to four , though the researchers expect to eventually look at about a dozen exoplanets.

The campaign will use Webb to look for signs of carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping gas, using a novel method for studying atmospheres.

The Hubble Space Telescope will study the stars themselves, studying their ultraviolet radiation output.

Teams will use a particular wavelength filter that can detect carbon dioxide, thought to be a likely atmospheric gas. Scientists will also take thermal measurements to get an early sense of whether an atmosphere could be present. If the temperature is lower than expected, it's a strong indication that a thick atmosphere is distributing energy from the planet's dayside — the hemisphere facing the star — to the nightside. More targets are expected to be announced before October , when the next round of telescope proposals is due. Topics NASA .