To find out whether Gliese 12 b has an atmosphere, should help the telescope ‘James Webb’, and the authors of the study want to use it. As you know, red dwarfs, despite their relatively low temperature, have the property to generate very powerful flares, capable of sterilising nearby planets and ‘blow out’ their atmosphere. But astronomers note that Gliese 12 is an atypically calm red dwarf.
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Information about the atmosphere will allow us to understand not only the conditions on Gliese 12 b, but may suggest the reason why Venus has turned into a hellishly hot planet, while Earth has maintained normal conditions. Since the exoplanet in question represents a kind of intermediate between Venus and Earth in terms of incoming energy.
Also the study of Gliese 12 b will help to better assess the prospects of habitability zones in other red dwarfs. And that includes most of the stars in our galaxy.
