Astronomers are edging closer than ever to confirming an Earth-like atmosphere on a distant exoplanet. Preliminary data from the James Webb Space Telescope suggest TRAPPIST-1e, one of seven rocky worlds orbiting the ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, could sustain liquid water and potentially life.
Discovered in 2016 by Belgian researchers, the TRAPPIST-1 system—40 light-years away—has become a prime target for habitability studies. Néstor Espinoza of the Space Telescope Science Institute said “the dream is still alive,” as four Webb observations in 2023 did not rule out an atmosphere. Fifteen more observations are underway to examine the planet’s chemical composition.
The absence of a primary hydrogen-rich atmosphere suggests TRAPPIST-1e may have developed a secondary nitrogen-based one, similar to Earth’s. MIT’s Sara Seager noted the findings “narrow the field” for plausible atmospheric types.
Confirmation would be groundbreaking: red dwarf stars like TRAPPIST-1 are the most common in the universe. If such systems can sustain atmospheres, the chances for life elsewhere multiply. Conversely, a null result would still be valuable—highlighting Earth’s uniqueness and guiding future missions to focus on planets orbiting sun-like stars.
Espinoza’s team expects results by late 2025. The next observations may reveal biosignatures such as methane, a gas associated with life on Earth. Michaël Gillon, who led the original discovery of TRAPPIST-1, described the effort as “humanity’s first genuine opportunity to detect an atmosphere on a potentially habitable rocky exoplanet.”
