Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
TRAPPIST-1b, once thought airless, may harbor an atmosphere or ongoing volcanic activity, offering fresh insights into exoplanetary geology.
Initial JWST data ruled out carbon dioxide, but new 12.8-micron observations challenge earlier findings, suggesting an intriguing, mineral-rich volcanic surface.
The planet’s surface may be reshaped by magmatic resurfacing or gravitational forces, hinting at tectonic or volcanic processes that keep its interior molten and dynamic.
A carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere could explain the observed thermal inversions, resembling hazy systems like Saturn’s moon Titan but with entirely alien chemistry.
Jeroen Bouwman’s team found evidence of a “young” surface, possibly just 1,000 years old, resisting stellar weathering and pointing to ongoing geological transformations.
TRAPPIST-1b’s proximity to its host red dwarf offers a unique opportunity to study rocky planet atmospheres under extreme stellar radiation, a key for habitability research.
Astronomers tracked TRAPPIST-1b’s temperature distribution across its orbit using JWST, unlocking clues about surface materials and atmospheric dynamics from changing infrared light.
Gravitational forces from TRAPPIST-1 and its neighboring planets could be stretching TRAPPIST-1b, keeping its interior molten and fueling volcanic or tectonic activity.
Published in Nature Astronomy, the study underscores the complexity of interpreting exoplanet data and the need for multi-wavelength observations to uncover hidden worlds.