Sudrit Ranjan, Ph.D: Professor, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona
Monday, June 22, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and zoom
TRAPPIST-1e is a rocky planet, one of seven Earth-sized worlds, orbiting a nearby red dwarf star outside our solar system. It is exciting because it has the same bulk composition as Earth and receives an amount of starlight comparable to the Earth, meaning that IF it has an atmosphere, it is likely habitable (liquid water stable at its surface). Further, the small size of its host star means that TRAPPIST-1e’s atmosphere is uniquely accessible to telescopic study, if extant. Therefore, TRAPPIST-1e is at present our best chance at characterizing the atmosphere of a potentially habitable planet. Now, with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, we have begun the process of searching for TRAPPIST-1e’s atmosphere. Sudrit Ranjan will report on the status of this search in his presentation.