"Now, using the new measurements from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have shown that this might be the case. The researchers aimed the JWST's NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) instrument at the planet just as it passed in front of its star. As the starlight shines through the atmosphere, if there is one, the gases absorb certain wavelengths of light depending on their chemical makeup."
"TRAPPIST-1 is an extremely small and cool red dwarf star, known as an M dwarf, with a diameter of just 52,300 miles (84,180 kilometres) and a surface temperature less than half that of the sun's. Of the three planets within the habitable zone, the fourth planet from the star, TRAPPIST-1e, is the most promising candidate to be a liveable world."
"Study co-author Dr Ryan MacDonald, of the University of St Andrews, says: 'We are seeing two possible explanations. 'The most exciting possibility is that TRAPPIST-1e could have a so-called secondary atmosphere containing heavy gases like nitrogen.'"
Astronomers used JWST's NIRSpec to observe TRAPPIST-1e during a transit and measured starlight absorption patterns indicative of atmospheric gases. TRAPPIST-1e orbits within the habitable Goldilocks zone and could support surface liquid water if an atmosphere maintains stable temperatures. The JWST data present two possible explanations for the observations, including the presence of a secondary atmosphere containing heavy gases such as nitrogen. TRAPPIST-1e is slightly smaller than Earth with 0.692 Earth masses and completes an orbit every 6.1 days around a cool M dwarf, potentially hosting oceans and ice.
Read at Mail Online
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