NASA announced Monday that the James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed the most complete planetary system yet discovered outside our solar system — seven Earth-sized planets orbiting a nearby red dwarf star, with at least three firmly within the "habitable zone."
The star system, located 39 light-years from Earth, was first identified in 2017. Webb has now added the first detailed atmospheric data: at least two of the planets show atmospheric signatures consistent with water vapour, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen — the atmospheric cocktail associated with rocky, Earth-like worlds. One planet shows a tantalising trace of what might be methane — a gas that on Earth is produced primarily by biological processes.
This is the most significant astrobiology finding since the discovery of liquid water on Mars. We have not found life. But we have found a place where life could plausibly exist. — NASA Chief Scientist
NASA is scheduling dedicated Webb observation time to focus on the most promising planets over the next 18 months. A direct imaging mission capable of photographing the planets has been approved for funding and could launch by 2031.