An artist’s impression of Trappist-1 b just before it passes behind the cool, red dwarf star, … [+]
An Earth-sized planet in a star system very similar to our own solar system may eventually have an atmosphere, new research using the James Webb Space Telescope suggests.
The Trappist-1 system, first discovered in 1999, was in 2017 NASA revealed to have seven rocky Earth-like planets orbiting its star — including three in the not-too-hot, not-too-cold “habitable zone.” At just 39 light-years away, Trappist-1 is also close enough for astronomers to study using space telescopes.
The Trappist Red Dwarf, Star System.. (Photo: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty … [+]
Two scenarios
Initial studies of the Trappist-1 planets using JWST have not yet yielded conclusive data on whether they are Earth-like. A piece of paper published today to Astronomy of Nature reveals that Trappist-1 b – the planet closest to its star – may not be the dark rocky planet without an atmosphere that it was originally thought to be.
In fact, the opposite may be true. New observations using JWST, this time in mid-infrared light wavelengths, reveal two scenarios for Trappist-1 b:
An airless planet with a surface that shows no signs of weathering, which could indicate geological activity such as volcanism and plate tectonics.
A planet with a hazy carbon dioxide atmosphere is also habitable—perhaps similar to Saturn’s giant moon Titan.
Plot of the infrared luminosity emitted by Trappist-1 b at 12.8 and 15 micrometers for … [+]
Uncertain Results
The uncertainty of the new results is indicative of how difficult it is for scientists to characterize the nature of exoplanets—planets orbiting a star other than our sun—from several light-years away.
The previous study, published in 2023, of Trappist-1 b at 15 microns—again using JWST—suggested that a dense, carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere was unlikely. He suggested a “dark bare rock” scenario for the planet. The new study, which added observations at 12.8 microns, raised the potential atmospheric scenarios for Trappist-1 b.
The complexity comes from how astronomers are forced to study the atmospheres of planets around distant stars. JWST can only see the atmosphere of a frame as it passes through the disk of its star. However, red dwarf stars have starspots and bursts that interfere with the measurements. So these spacecraft used JWST’s infrared capabilities to look at the heated dayside of the planet as it moved behind the star, revealing details of its surface and atmosphere.
This image shows the observation of Trappist-1 b during a transit. Different areas of it … [+]
New Discoveries
The uncertainty surrounding Trappist-1 b excites exoplanet hunters because it suggests new discoveries unknown in the solar system. “The chemistry in Trappist-1 b’s atmosphere is expected to be very different from Titan or any of the rocky bodies in the Solar System.” he said Dr. Michiel Min from SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research. “It’s exciting to think that we might be looking at a type of atmosphere that we haven’t seen before.”
The star in the Trappist-1 system is a red dwarf star that is smaller and cooler than our sun but much more numerous. Red segment stars account for about 70% of all the stars in our Milky Way galaxy. This makes Trappist-1 important to astronomers. “Planets orbiting red dwarfs are the best opportunity to study the atmospheres of temperate rocky planets for the first time,” said Elsa Ducrot, study co-leader and assistant astronomer at the Commissariat aux Énergies Atomiques (CEA) in Paris, France. . “The TRAPPIST-1 planets provide an ideal laboratory for this groundbreaking research.”
I wish you clear skies and open eyes.
