TRAPPIST-1e Reveals Atmosphere: New Hope for Extraterrestrial Life

The James Webb Space Telescope has detected signs of an atmosphere around TRAPPIST-1e—a rocky planet 40 light-years from Earth, raising hopes of life beyond our solar system.

TRAPPIST-1e, one of seven planets orbiting the red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, is located in the “Goldilocks” zone where water can exist in liquid form. Scientists have just released preliminary results showing that the planet may have a nitrogen-rich atmosphere, similar to Earth.

Illustration of the planet TRAPPIST-1e. (Source: NASA)

The research team led by Ryan MacDonald (University of St Andrews, UK) used the James Webb telescope to observe TRAPPIST-1e in 2023. They analyzed the starlight as the planet passed by, to detect chemical signs in the atmosphere - such as water, methane or carbon dioxide.

Despite being in the “habitable zone,” detecting TRAPPIST-1e’s atmosphere wasn’t easy. Starlight from the host star distorts the data, forcing the team to observe the planet as it transits the star—when light can penetrate the atmosphere (if it has one) and leave a chemical signature.

Comparison of the spectrum of TRAPPIST-1e as the planet orbits with two models: one with a nitrogen-rich atmosphere (blue) and one without an atmosphere (orange). (Source: NASA)

According to Dr Ryan MacDonald (University of St Andrews), there are two possibilities: TRAPPIST-1e may have a secondary atmosphere containing heavy gases such as nitrogen, or it may have no atmosphere at all. Initial observations have ruled out a hydrogen-rich atmosphere like that of the gas giants, and a Venus-like atmosphere is also unlikely.

The data is not yet sufficient to confirm which is true. However, scientists remain cautious: The planet could be just a bare rock.

TRAPPIST-1 is a low-luminosity red dwarf star that is easy to observe, but it emits a lot of energetic flares. Nearby planets TRAPPIST-1b, c, and d have lost their atmospheres to these flares. If TRAPPIST-1e retains its atmosphere, that would be a positive sign for the potential for life in red dwarf systems.

NASA expects to observe about 20 more transits of the planet in the next few years, a milestone in astronomy, as for the first time humans have powerful tools to search for habitable conditions in other star systems.

Some experts believe that if TRAPPIST-1e is habitable, then at 7.6 billion years old, it could have undergone a long evolutionary process – possibly even developing intelligence.

Minh Hoan

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