Astronomers have traced a new exoplanet with characteristics similar to Earth. Observations made with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) reveal that the planet named TRAPPIST-1e could have a life-supporting atmosphere.
Discovered in 2016, the TRAPPIST-1 system hosts seven Earth-sized, rocky planets.
The fact that several of these planets are located in the habitable zone, meaning they could potentially have liquid water on their surfaces, sparked excitement in the scientific community. However, strong stellar flares might have stripped away these planets' atmospheres, making their habitability questionable.
New data indicates that TRAPPIST-1e does not have a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere like Venus or Mars, but instead may have a nitrogen-rich atmosphere similar to Earth's.
The research teams analyzed four different transit observations from JWST. The results are not yet definitive; the planet might have an atmosphere or could be a "bare rocky" world with none at all.
However, the data supports the possibility of a nitrogen-rich atmosphere with small amounts of carbon dioxide and methane. Astronomer Sara Seager from MIT said, "TRAPPIST-1e remains one of the most promising habitable zone planets, and these findings take us one step further."
Earth's atmosphere is about 78% molecular nitrogen. If TRAPPIST-1e's atmosphere is confirmed, this planet could be the most Earth-like exoplanet discovered so far.
Researchers say upcoming JWST observations will clarify these results. The study was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Astrophysicist Ana Glidden from MIT stated, "We can now study the atmospheres of Earth-sized planets 40 light-years away. This marks the beginning of a new era of discovery."
