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JWST gets first glimpse of 7-planet system with potentially habitable worlds

Astronomers have been eager for the landmark telescope to study the TRAPPIST-1 system.
  1. Alexandra Witze
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Artist's impression of the TRAPPIST-1 system from near planet TRAPPIST-1f: a number of small planets in front of a star.

The TRAPPIST-1 system, shown in this rendering, includes seven Earth-sized planets circling a single, relatively cool star. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has had its first look at a hotly anticipated set of targets — the atmospheres of some of the seven Earth-sized planets circling the star TRAPPIST-1, just 12 parsecs (39 light years) from Earth. All seven lie in or near their star’s habitable zone, where liquid water could exist, and astronomers consider them the best known laboratory for studying what might make planets beyond the Solar System suitable for life.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-04452-3

Updates & Corrections

  • Clarification 16 December 2022: This story has been updated to include additional information on the prior contribution of the Hubble Space Telescope to understanding the atmospheres of the TRAPPIST-1 planets.

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