Sara Seager

The search for life has typically focused on planets with liquid water. But hot exoplanets lack it. It turns out that ionic liquids—molten salts that don't evaporate in hellish heat—could substitute for water. Scientists created them in the lab from volcanic acid and organic matter. So, there may be

Webb studied the planet HAT-P-26 b and found water, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide in its air. Previously, SO₂ had only been spotted on scorching hot giants or chilly sub-Neptunes; now it's clear that photochemistry works across a wide temperature range. A trend emerged: the higher the atmospher

The James Webb telescope is hunting for an atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1 e, but the star's flares get in the way. Scientists found a fix: record the noise using the neighboring airless planet TRAPPIST-1 b, then subtract it from the main signal. Early tests show the method works on quiet days, but a power

The light of TRAPPIST-1 revealed that standard models were wrong: in its cold atmosphere, molecules collide differently, hiding the chemical composition. Refining the rules will help us better understand the star itself and its planets.