James Webb detects water vapour and complex organic molecules in habitable zone around TRAPPIST-1e

Transmission spectroscopy from the James Webb Space Telescope identified distinct atmospheric water vapour, methane, and carbon dioxide signatures on TRAPPIST-1e, an Earth-sized rocky exoplanet orbiting within its star's habitable zone 40 light-years away. The clean spectral signal marks the first confirmed temperate terrestrial atmosphere outside the Solar System with stable non-equilibrium atmospheric chemistry.

NASA · Sep 1, 2026