7 Earth-Sized Worlds Orbit One Tiny Star #space #exoplanet #trappist1 #astronomy #science #shorts

TRAPPIST-1 is one of the most remarkable planetary systems ever found. About 40 light years away in the constellation Aquarius, it is centered on an ultracool red dwarf star far smaller and dimmer than our Sun. Around it orbit seven known planets, all close to the size of Earth — the largest collection of roughly Earth-sized worlds discovered around a single star.

Announced in detail by Gillon and colleagues in 2017 (Nature), the planets orbit very close to their faint star and to each other, completing their years in just days. From the surface of one, neighboring planets would appear as large as, or larger than, our Moon. Several of the planets lie in or near the habitable zone, the range of distances where a rocky world could, in principle, hold liquid water.

Because the star is small and the planets pass directly in front of it, TRAPPIST-1 is a prime target for studying exoplanet atmospheres. The James Webb Space Telescope has been observing these worlds; early results suggest the innermost planets likely have little or no atmosphere, while studies of the others continue. TRAPPIST-1 remains one of our best nearby opportunities to search for signs of life beyond Earth.

#space #exoplanet #trappist1 #astronomy #science #shorts #aliens

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