In 1999, scientists chanced upon a hidden celestial marvel approximately 40 light-years from Earth: TRAPPIST-1 – a red dwarf star. Unbeknownst to them, their discovery would prove to be incredibly fortunate. Nearly two decades later, our telescopes unveiled the initial planets orbiting this star. Subsequently, four more planets were uncovered orbiting this M-type star within the following year. Presently, TRAPPIST-1 stands as one of the most extensively studied planetary systems outside our own. Its seven worlds are composed of rock, remarkably akin in mass and size to our own planet, with some potentially harboring more water than Earth’s oceans. For a considerable period, scientists faced challenges in scrutinizing distant worlds, but with the advent of the James Webb Space Telescope, much has changed. Hence, the question arises: How conducive to habitation is the TRAPPIST-1 system? And what might existence on one of its worlds entail? Let’s delve into these inquiries and more! The James Webb Space Telescope was built to study the early universe, back when the first galaxies and stars were forming. But what makes it really specia l is its ability to analyze atmospheres around distant exoplanets. The telescope’s Near Infrared Spectrograph and the Mid-Infrared Instrument are able to measure a different spectrum of light emitted by faraway celestial bodies. This helps scientists identify the composition and temperatures of planets and their atmospheres. And on top of that, JWST has a powerful infrared camera that can see through an exoplanet’s thick cloud cover and help us study its geology. The problem is, TR APPIST-1 is an M-type red dwarf, which are the most prevalent in our galaxy, and the most active stars we know of, emitting powerful flares several times a day. And since studying an exoplanet’s atmosphere takes observing light as it passess through it, it’s difficult for scientists to distinguish ordinary light from the stellar radiation caused by the flares. But the James Webb Space Telescope is much more powerful than any other telescope known to science. Its precision in detecti ng brightness fluctuations is comparable to looking at 10,000 light bulbs, and seeing 4 of them being turned off. So what has the telescope discovered about the TRAPPIST-1 system so far? Recent observations showed that the closest planet to the star in the TRAPPIST-1 system either has a very thin atmosphere, or none at all, and it’s most likely a bare rock. This innermost planet called TRAPPIST-1b is a scorching hot, rocky world. With a blistering surface temperature of 450°F [230°C] , the planet is too close to its parent star, much like Mercury in our solar system, which places it outside of the habitable zone. Slightly farther out, another planet rotates around the red dwarf – TRAPPIST-1c. In the past, it was believed that the second planet in the TRAPPIST-1 system was similar to Venus, but the data from James Webb Telescope proved scientists wrong. The planet doesn’t have a Venus-like thick atmosphere. And while the temperatures on the dayside of this wor ld are still extremely hot, about 225°F [107°C], it is now considered the coldest rocky planet ever studied using this new method. In such harsh conditions, water would have evaporated long ago, even if it was initially present on these worlds. But according to a new study, the rest of the planetary system might have stayed cold enough for water to remain there, either in a liquid or frozen form. The lightest of the planets in this system; TRAPPIST-1d, has around 30% the mass of the Earth, and a radius of approximately 80% of our planet. Because of such small mass, the planet probably doesn’t have a dense atmosphere, or an abundance of heavy elements. But it still bears similarities with Earth, such as the amount of solar radiation it gets from its star. Located just on the inner edge of the habitable zone, the planet’s temperature without an atmosphere would be about 48°F [9°C]. To compare, if there were no greenhouse effect on Earth, the surface temperatu re would be freezing, about 0°F [-17.5°C]. But what’s exciting about this world is that it could harbor a staggering 250 times more water than our own planet. Although the planet’s potential habitability remains uncertain. But there’s one factor that might change this. It’s known as albedo, which is a measure of the reflectivity of a surface, typically expressed as a percentage. It quantifies how much incoming solar radiation is reflected back into space by a surface, rather than being absorbed. In other words, it describes the ability of an object or surface to reflect sunlight. Albedo values range from 0 to 1, with 0 indicating that all incoming radiation is absorbed by a ‘perfectly black’ surface, and 1 indicating that all incoming radiation is reflected by a ‘perfectly white’ surface. The Earth’s average albedo is 0.3, and so if TRAPPIST-1d has the same or similar value, it could provide an environment suitable for some forms of life. This is because water vapor acts as a greenhouse gas,   but with the Earth-like albedo, the planet  would escape the runaway greenhouse state. Scientists think TRAPPIST-1d is covered by a  global ocean. But for life to thrive there,   it needs a tidal heat flux 20 times stronger than  what Earth has. Tidal heat flux is like a special   kind of energy generated by the gravitational  interactions with nearby celestial objects. On TRAPPIST-1d, this energy would act like  geothermal heat that could sustain chemica l   reactions in its gigantic ocean. Some forms of  life drive energy from chemosynthesis rather   than photosynthesis even here on Earth. So  there’s a possibility that TRAPPIST-1d could   be a unique home for life that doesn’t rely on  sunlight. And if the planet has a thin atmosphere,   its twilight zone, or the border between the  night and day sides, could be habitable as well. Among the planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system, the  fourth one [TRAPPIST-1e] is the most promising.   It’s both dense and possibly quite rocky,  sharing similarities with our home planet,   even in composition. Located in the  habitable zone of its parent star,   TRAPPIST-1e could hold a thick oxygen-rich  atmosphere. And all the hydrogen could have   escaped its atmosphere because of how light it is,  which is good news since it’s a greenhouse gas. If TRAPPIST-1e began with more water than  Earth and Mars, and retained it on the surface   over time, its climate could be strikingly  similar to what we enjoy on our own planet. That being said, TRAPPIST-1e is considered one  of the most Earth-like planets ever discovered. Imagine living in a world where  a year lasts about 7 Earth days,   and the concept of day and night is something  completely different from what we’re used to.   Because of the close proximity to their star, all  the 7 planets in the system are tidally locked,   with one side always facing their parent  star. During a never ending sunset or sunrise,   the sky would be a reddish hue, and you would  be able to see the six planets in the sky as   if they were moons, with some appearing  larger than the Earth’s moon in the sky. On its dayside, the planet might even  have lands where humans could thrive.   The climate would be much different. Thick storm clouds covering large areas,   massive dust storms distributing heat across  the planet and maintaining a temperature   balance necessary for complex ecosystems to  flourish, while also generating powerful winds,   tornadoes, an d hurricanes. The nightside would  be a harsh place, even for expeditions – this   is the realm of arctic cold and towering  glaciers that dominate the landscape. Although a constant twilight  might get a bit tiresome,   it offers a crucial advantage, especially  for the first settlers. In the distant past,   our ancestors used the ever-shifting  constellations as direction guides.   But on TRAPPIST-1e the nearby star is  always at a fixed position in the sky,   so it would be like having a perm anent North  Star to show you the way through the uncharted   territories of this alien terrain, although it  would appear several times larger than the Sun. In our galaxy, there are ten times more of  these M-type red dwarf stars than stars like   our Sun. These little red dwarfs hold  promise as potential cradles for life,   with trillions of years for life to evolve  and flourish in their cosmic neighborhoods. However, as we’ve mentioned earlier,  even though they’re normally dim,   many red dwarfs can suddenly  and dramatically increase their   brightness. This supercharged mode is like a  star shooting out solar flares on steroids. Some scientists think that the flares  from the Trappist-1 star might actually   be helpful for life on the nearby planets.  These flares give off a lot of energy,   and that energy could have kick-started the  creation of important molecules like amino acids,   which are building blocks for life. So,  while the high-energy radiation from   flares could be harmful and maybe even sterilize  a planet’s surface or strip away its atmosphere,   it could also provide the extra energy  needed for early forms of life to develop. Although data shows TRAPPIST-1 is a much safer  host star, its flares are about 30 times milder   than those seen in other red dwarfs. But  since the seven planets in the TRAPPIST-1   system are tightly packed, the effects would  be noticeable. And this means that auroras   on TRAPPIST-1e would be nothing like the  ones we kno w. Human bodies are fragile,   so even weaker but frequent solar flares  from the star pose a constant danger. Here,   auroras act as natural alarms, signaling the  incoming flare. To survive, inhabitants would   rely on an exponentially thicker ozone layer,  and a strong magnetosphere, along with advanced   technology to track and respond to these volatile  solar events. For safety, colonizers of the   planet could construct specialized shelters  resembling bunkers. These shelters would be   eq uipped with shielding materials and advanced  life support systems, serving as a refuge during   periods of intense space radiation, and  they would be built into every habitat. Moving wouldn’t be much different, as the  planet has gravity about 93% that of Earth,   but if you don’t find a safe place to  hide once solar flares strike the planet,   your arteries might contract, which can impair  blood flow, leading to critical health problems.   Exposure to this extreme stellar radiation  can als o damage the DNA within your cells,   disrupting the normal cell production rate,  causing mutations or a growth of abnormal cells. In this world of constant twilight, growing  plants becomes a puzzle. The starlight reaches   the planet’s surface at a low angle, which  can cast shadows and limit plant growth. To   overcome this, humans might consider a concept  like the hanging gardens of Babylon, letting   vegetation drape from multi-level platforms  to catch sunlight from different directions. Imagine a series of tiered planter boxes, each  placed on top of the one below. Plants are   spaced and designed to allow some light  to filter down through the tiers. So,   even if a plant on a lower level is  partially shaded by the plants above it,   it still gets some sunlight from the sides  or through small gaps in between vegetation,   making the most of the available sunlight. The idea is similar to the vertical gardens   created by nature, where every inch of  space is optimized for pl ant growth. If there’s native flora on the planet, it  might not need a human hand to thrive since   it has probably evolved to be completely  black to absorb more of the sunlight.   Another idea is that some vegetation might  also evolve into bioluminescent organisms,   emitting their own soft glow to compensate for  the lack of natural light. This adaptation would   extend their growing hours and enhance their  chances of survival in the persistent twilight. Located a bit farther from its pare nt  star, TRAPPIST-1f only receives about   a third of the starlight compared to what  Earth gets from the Sun. This makes this   world much cooler. If there’s no atmosphere  around TRAPPIST-1f, its surface temperature   would be approximately -74°F [-59°C], turning  any potentially existing water there into ice. The same would happen on the two outermost planets  – TRAPPIST-1g and h. Although the data shows they   are rich in water, their surface would be covered  in ice. However, since TRAPPIS into perspective, the average depth of the Earth’s  global ocean is around 2.3 miles [3.7 kilometers]. The corner of the TRAPPIST 1 system where the  seventh planet [TRAPPIST-1h] orbits doesn’t   get bathed in much stellar radiation. If the  planet was orbiting inside our solar system,   it would be somewhere between Mars  and Jupiter. According to estimations,   the surface of the TRAPPIST-1h  is chilling -148°F [-100°C]. TRAPPIST-1 is an aging star that  has been cooling for 7.6 billion   ye from a   planet’s surface through convection,  a process similar to hot air rising,   and cold air falling. But celestial  objects are more complex than that,   and the gasses in their atmospheres  act differently at different altitudes. Recent research suggests that the TRAPPIST-1  planets might not have heated up enough to   turn their crust and mantle into molten rock.  This means that a significant amount of water   might have remained trapped within the  rocks, even after the star cooled do ss on the biggest discoveries  in space science. Let us know what you think about   the potential for life in our cosmic  neighborhood,