2023-06-20 19:50:00
One of the systems being studied with the help of the James Webb Telescope may not be as easily habitable as once thought. About 40 light-years from Earth, the seven planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1, despite being rocky, don’t have as robust an atmosphere, scientists estimate. TRAPPIST-1 c, one of the stars, has a very thin atmosphere or none at all. The same goes for TRAPPIST-1 b.
If there is indeed an atmosphere around TRAPPIST-1c, the researchers say it is likely to be very thin, cloudless and composed mostly of carbon dioxide, according to a statement from the Space Telescope Science Institute. With this, it seems that there are no habitable planets so close to Earth or with temperatures suitable for the development of life.
O TRAPPIST-1 c orbits its host star at a distance of approximately 2.41 million kilometers. TRAPPIST-1 b, c, and d are too close to their star to be in the system’s habitable zone, according to NASA, but the absence of atmospheres around the first two confirms that they are uninhabitable.
Atmospheres are considered crucial for the existence of life on the surface — as opposed to dwelling in subterranean oceans, such as those found on Saturn’s moon Enceladus or Jupiter’s moon Europa. In addition to providing air to breathe, planetary atmospheres allow worlds to retain and distribute the heat they receive from their stars, maintaining a more regular temperature on their surface.
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In the recent investigation, Webb’s team examined the emission spectra of TRAPPIST-1 c and the planet’s light curve, which indicates the variation in brightness, thus revealing the world’s temperature and the possible existence of an atmosphere.
Like TRAPPIST-1 b, TRAPPIST-1 c exhibits elevated temperatures; the team recorded daytime temperatures between 77 and 138°C. The cool star around which the TRAPPIST planets orbit emits X-rays and ultraviolet radiation, potentially eroding any nearby planetary atmospheres.
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