Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope are closely examining a distant Earth-like planet in hopes of uncovering signs of life beyond our solar system.
The planet, known as TRAPPIST-1e, lies about 40 light-years away and sits in the so-called habitable zone — a region around a star where conditions may allow liquid water to exist.
TRAPPIST-1e has drawn attention because it shares key features with Earth. It’s similar in size, rocky in composition, and orbits within a temperature range that could, in theory, support life.
However, researchers caution that being located in this “just right” zone isn’t enough. Earth, Mars, and Venus all orbit within the Sun’s habitable zone, yet only Earth supports life, and the atmosphere plays a crucial role in that difference.
Challenges in detecting an atmosphere
The team, led by scientists including Ryan MacDonald of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, has focused its efforts on analyzing the planet’s atmosphere, or lack thereof.
MacDonald explained that TRAPPIST-1e has long been considered one of the most promising targets for atmospheric study, but early observations in 2023 revealed challenges.
The red dwarf star it orbits interfered with the data, making it harder to identify any chemical signatures that might hint at an atmosphere.
To work around this, researchers timed their observations to coincide with the planet’s transits — moments when TRAPPIST-1e passes in front of its star. During these brief events, starlight passes through the planet’s atmosphere, if one exists, leaving behind subtle chemical clues.
Identifying these fingerprints requires high precision, but starspots and other surface features on the red dwarf introduced distortions. The team has spent the past year removing these contaminants to isolate any signals that could point to atmospheric gases.
What comes next for TRAPPIST-1e?
So far, results remain inconclusive. MacDonald explained that there are two main possibilities: TRAPPIST-1e could possess a secondary atmosphere rich in heavier elements like nitrogen, or it might be a barren rock with no atmosphere at all. The current data does not confirm either case.
NASA scientists plan to continue monitoring the planet. With nearly 20 transits expected to be observed in the coming years, researchers hope to build a clearer picture.
MacDonald noted that this is a turning point for astronomy, as the tools now exist to search for habitable conditions in other star systems.
The team’s findings appeared Monday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
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