Water in TRAPPIST-1???

You may remember the announcement of seven Earth-sized planets in the TRAPPIST-1 solar system.  This system is relatively close to us, at a distance of only 40 light years.  This means the light we see took 40 years to to reach us.  This may seem to be an incredibly large distance, but on astronomical scales, this is quite close.  Finding Earth-sized planets is a huge deal as it brings us one step closer to finding other, habitable planets in our galaxy.  In addition, this is a step closer to finding life outside of our own Solar System.  Life elsewhere would be the greatest discovery in the history of humans!!!

More recently, astronomers have detected the first signs of water loss in the atmospheres of TRAPPIST-1 planets.  Where there is water loss there is water.  These are just the first signs of water in this system and more research is needed to confirm, but this is very exciting news!  If there's water, that opens the door to the possibility of life in some form!  Wow!

First hints of possible water content on TRAPPIST-1 planets

Will life elsewhere be discovered in my lifetime?  I don't know, but the chances have increased in the last few years.  I'm hopeful, that's for sure, and I really do expect it to happen, if not in my lifetime, then in the lifetime of my kids.