The discovery indicates that the planet may be habitable, as it is also covered in liquid surface water, either as an ocean or ice. Two new papers published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters reveal the new findings, made possible through data from the James Webb Space Telescope. James Webb ObservationsWorking with international collaborators, University of St Andrews researchers performed the first search for an atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1e using the James Webb Space Telescope. However, even sitting inside this “goldilocks” zone, an atmosphere is required for the planet to be a viable candidate for life. “TRAPPIST-1e has long been considered one of the best habitable zone planets to search for an atmosphere,” said Dr Ryan MacDonald, Lecturer in Extrasolar Planets in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of St Andrews.