TRAPPIST-1

 TRAPPIST-1 d loses its "second Earth" status 🌎

TRAPPIST-1 d is a planet about the size of Earth in the habitable zone. It was one of the planets that could potentially support life. But new data from the James Webb Telescope shows that it lacks a thick atmosphere.

The NIRSpec instrument detected no trace of water, methane, or carbon dioxide - confirming that it lacks even a hydrogen atmosphere.

The researchers say the planet could have a thin atmosphere like Mars, a cloudy atmosphere like Venus, or no atmosphere at all. 

The other TRAPPIST-1 planets e, f, g, and h may have atmospheres, but they are too cold and small for the Webb telescope to confirm.

 🌍 TRAPPIST-1 d's main features 🌍

🗺 Size and mass

TRAPPIST-1 d is a planet about the same size as Earth. It has a smaller diameter and mass than Earth. Although it is a rocky planet, it may be less dense than Earth.

Orbit and year

This planet has a very short year. It orbits its star in just four Earth days.

Habitable zone

This planet is located in the inner part of the habitable zone, where liquid water could exist.

🗾 Atmospheric findings.

🌋No critical findings:

In new observations by the James Webb Telescope, gases such as water, methane, and carbon dioxide, which are commonly found in Earth's atmosphere, were not detected on this planet.

 🌍 Possible explanations:

It could be a barren planet like Mercury, a very thin atmosphere like Mars, or a very thick cloud cover.

🌍 Conclusions on habitability: 

The lack of these molecules suggests that this planet is unlikely to be a habitable world, especially compared to other, more Earth-like planets in the same solar system.

🚧 Implications.

Water-rich worlds may be rare: These findings question the idea that water is abundant on planets in the interior of small stars (red dwarfs).

⛵ Future research: 

Further studies are planned to better understand the atmospheric conditions of this planet and to tease out more information about it.