Is there an atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1e? The search for liquid water

Space · Published 23 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Deep in our galaxy lies a system of seven Earth-sized worlds orbiting a volatile red dwarf. Among them, planet e sits in the habitable zone—a region where temperatures might allow for surface oceans. But without an atmosphere to trap heat, these worlds could be barren rocks.

The TRAPPIST-1 system, discovered in 2017, is a primary target for astrobiology because of its rocky planets orbiting a red dwarf star. Planet e is particularly significant because it orbits at a distance where surface water is theoretically possible—neither too hot nor too cold. However, the existence of liquid water depends entirely on whether the planet possesses an atmosphere to maintain those conditions.

Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), specifically its Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument, researchers observed planet e as it transited its star. By analyzing how starlight is partially absorbed by the planet's periphery, scientists can identify specific chemicals in the atmosphere. While JWST has not yet found definitive signs of an atmosphere, initial data from four transits have allowed researchers to rule out a hydrogen-rich primordial atmosphere.

The lack of primary hydrogen and helium is expected, as the active red dwarf star likely stripped these gases away via stellar radiation. This leaves two main possibilities: planet e may have no secondary atmosphere at all, or it may have developed one composed of heavier elements—similar to Earth's. The team from institutions including the University of Bristol and the Space Telescope Science Institute is using novel data analysis to distinguish between these scenarios as more transits are observed.

This research represents a major milestone in determining what factors allow planets to retain atmospheres under intense stellar radiation. While scientists cannot yet rule out that there is nothing to detect, the high-resolution infrared data from JWST provides unprecedented detail into whether this world could harbor oceans or icy expanses.

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