Scientists studying the Trappist-1 system have made a discovery that likely dashes the hopes of either colonisation or finding life on the exoplanets.
Trappist-1 is of particular interest to exoplanet researchers because it’s relatively close by – at just forty light years away. But with Trappist-1e rapidly transitioning between very different stellar wind conditions and pressures, there appears to be a pulsing compression and relaxation of the planetary magnetic field.
This causes significant electric currents in the ionosphere that heats up the atmosphere, and while we experience the same effects here on Earth – Trappist-1e’s compressions are likely to be one hundred thousand times stronger.
Trappist-1e is the fourth planet from the host star, with the first already lost its atmosphere and the fifth and sixth experiencing similar effects – though at much less intensity.