Oxygen-rich atmospheres may develop much faster on planets orbiting red dwarfs than on Earth

Star system: TRAPPIST-1 | Distance from the Sun: 40.7 light years

A new study focusing on the Earth-like exoplanet TRAPPIST-1e suggests that the transition to an oxygen-rich atmosphere, known as the Great Oxidation Event, could occur up to a billion years sooner than it did on our own planet. 

While Earth's atmosphere took hundreds of millions of years to accumulate oxygen after the appearance of life, the unique light from M-dwarf stars promotes more efficient ozone formation. This process lowers the barrier for full atmospheric oxidation, potentially allowing for the rapid development of oxygen-breathing life. These findings also indicate that the James Webb Space Telescope could detect these oxygen signatures much more easily than previously expected, requiring significantly fewer observations to confirm a breathable atmosphere.

Scientific study

Possible favored Great Oxidation Event scenario on exoplanets around M-Stars with the example of TRAPPIST-1e (external link)