[Artist Concept] Could two nearby Earth-sized planets beyond our solar system potentially sustain life? Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have conducted the first search for atmospheres around the two exoplanets and found indications that increase the chances of habitability. Specifically, they discovered that the exoplanets TRAPPIST-1b and TRAPPIST-1c, approximately 40 light-years away, are unlikely to have puffy, hydrogen-dominated atmospheres usually found on gaseous worlds.
This artist's illustration shows the planets passing in front of their parent red dwarf star, which is much smaller and cooler than our sun.
Credits: NASA/ESA/STScI/J. de Wit (MIT)
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