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Space
Space
Science
Samantha Mathewson

James Webb Space Telescope spies on rocky TRAPPIST-1 exoplanet, finds bad news for life

artist's illustration of the exoplanet trappist-1c, with its dim red dwarf host star in the background

New data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shows that the atmosphere of a rocky exoplanet in the TRAPPIST-1 system is either non-existent or incredibly thin, making it unfavorable for hosting life as we know it. 

Astronomers using JWST were able to calculate the amount of heat energy coming from TRAPPIST-1 c, revealing that the dayside temperature of the rocky world is about 225 degrees Fahrenheit (107 degrees Celsius) — the coolest rocky exoplanet ever characterized. At this temperature, the exoplanet's atmosphere is likely extremely thin, if it exists at all, according to a statement from NASA. 

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