Scientists say they have detected an atmosphere around an Earth-like planet for the first time.

They have studied a world known as GJ 1132b, which is 1.4-times the size of our planet and lies 39 light years away.

Their observations suggest that the “super-Earth” is cloaked in a thick layer of gasses that are either water or methane or a mixture of both.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39521344

Discovering an atmosphere, and characterising it, is an important step forward in the hunt for life beyond our Solar System.

But it is highly unlikely that this world is habitable: it has a surface temperature of 370C.

.

Not to be picky but if aliens are just like Earthmen they wouldn’t be aliens would they? What if a gaseous fuzzy hot cloud happens to think? Would it be any stranger than, say, meaty floppy things doing the same? I personally like taking 370C showers.

.

The study is published in the Astronomical Journal.

Detection of the Atmosphere of the 1.6 M _⊕ Exoplanet GJ 1132 b

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/aa6477/meta