Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have obtained new data on TRAPPIST-1 b, the planet closest to its star in the TRAPPIST-1 solar system. The observations did not detect an atmosphere around TRAPPIST-1 b, suggesting it may be a bare rock or have a small atmosphere that is difficult to detect. The study also found that stellar activity, such as dark regions called spots and bright regions called faculae, can affect measurements of an exoplanet’s atmosphere, leading to “ghost signals” that mimic specific molecules. These findings highlight the importance of considering stellar contamination when studying exoplanetary systems like TRAPPIST-1.
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-james-webb-space-telescope-spectrum.html