Scientists are more and more positive about the living conditions that can exist on the planetary system TRAPPIST-1. Research with the use of the Hubble telescope shows that the planets are rich in water.

As a result of the precise observations, the physical parameters of the central star and the planets orbiting around were more accurately estimated, and their density and the amount of water included in their composition was determined. Some planets may contain an amount of water equivalent to 5 percent of their masses. For comparison, the mass of water on Earth is around 0.02 percent of its mass.

The main goal of the research is to determine the abundance of hydrogen in their atmospheres. The results show that at least three planets do not have thick hydrogen atmospheres, which gives hope for life. With each new discovery the system TRAPPIST-1 seems to be more and more “alive”.

Dr Tomasz Mrozek from the Institute of Astronomy of the University of Wrocław writes about the latest research: https://uni.wroc.pl/2018/02/23/coraz-bardziej-zywy-uklad-trappist-1/