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    TRAPPIST-1e observations narrow down possibilities for atmosphere and surface water on elusive exoplanet

    September 9, 2025, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    Transmission spectroscopy of the habitable zone planet TRAPPIST-1 e
    Scientists call this event a transit, when valuable data can be gathered as the exoplanet passes between the star and the telescope and starlight illuminates the atmosphere, if one is present. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has made initial observations of planets b, c, d, and e during their transits, with additional observations of planet e underway. While the star’s frequent flares make it difficult to detect an atmosphere, each transit builds up more and more information for scientists to get a more complete picture of these distant worlds. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, J. Olmsted (STScI)

    University of Bristol astrophysicists are helping shed new light on an Earth-sized exoplanet 40 light years away where liquid water in the form of a global ocean or icy expanse might exist on its surf...

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