A new study of the intriguing TRAPPIST-1 exoplanetary system has demonstrated the complex interaction between the activity of the system's star and its planetary features.
Astronomers led by a team at Université de Montréal has made important progress in understanding the intriguing TRAPPIST-1 exoplanetary system, which was first discovered in 2016 amid speculation it could someday provide a place for humans to live.
Led by iREx doctoral student Olivia Lim, the researchers employed the powerful James Webb Space Telescope to observe TRAPPIST-1 b. Their observations were collected as part of the largest Canadian-led General Observers program during the JWST's first year of operations. TRAPPIST-1 b was observed during two transits -- the moment when the planet passes in front of its star -- using the Canadian-made NIRISS instrument aboard the JWST.
The astronomers' key finding was just how significant stellar activity and contamination are when trying to determine the nature of an exoplanet. Stellar contamination refers to the influence of the star's own features, such as dark spots and bright faculae, on the measurements of the exoplanet's atmosphere.
This result underscores the importance of considering stellar contamination when planning future observations of all exoplanetary systems, the sceintists say. This is especially true for systems like TRAPPIST-1, since the system is centred around a red dwarf star which can be particularly active with starspots and frequent flare events.
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