JWST Reveals Surprising Discoveries About Nearby Exoplanets.

The James Webb Space Telescope has failed to detect any trace of a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1 c, the second planet in the TRAPPIST-1 system. The planet is theorized to be a Venus-like world, but JWST's measurement of 15-micron mid-infrared light emitted by TRAPPIST-1 c suggests that the planet has either a bare rocky surface or a very thin carbon dioxide atmosphere. The absence of a thick, CO2-rich atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1 c suggests a relatively volatile-poor formation history. Researchers will conduct a follow-up investigation to observe the full orbits of TRAPPIST-1 b and TRAPPIST-1 c later this year.