The Discovery of TRAPPIST-1 Planets

Spitzer_ssc2017-01i_1024

spitzer_ssc2017-01i February 22nd, 2017

Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC)

The first observations of the TRAPPIST-1 system reported in 2016 revealed three planets orbiting a small, red-dwarf star, though the exact location of the outermost one, was not well-determined (yellow band, top image). Follow-up observations with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, as well as ground-based telescopes, dramatically changed our understanding of this system, revealing a total ofseven planets in Earths size range.The original TRAPPIST-1d was found to have actually been the mixed-up signals of three other planets e, f, and g (yellow orbits, bottom image), and an entirely new d and h were also added to the system.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, manages the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Science operations are conducted at the Spitzer Science Center at Caltech in Pasadena. Spacecraft operations are based at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Littleton, Colorado. Data are archived at the Infrared Science Archive housed at Caltech/IPAC. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/6298-ssc2017-01i-The-Discovery-of-TRAPPIST-1-Planets

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

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Image Details

Image Type
Artwork
Object Name
TRAPPIST-1
Subject - Milky Way
Planet > Type > Gas Giant

Distance

Universescale1
40 light years
Spitzer_ssc2017-01i_1280
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ID
ssc2017-01i
Subject Category
B.1.1.2  
Subject Name
TRAPPIST-1
Credits
NASA/JPL/Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC)
Release Date
2017-02-22
Lightyears
40
Redshift
40
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/6298-ssc2017-01i-The-Discovery-of-TRAPPIST-1-Planets
Type
Artwork
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Instrument
Color Assignment
Band
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
Equinox
Reference Value
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
ssc2017-01i.tif
Metadata Date
2017-02-22
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
40 light years

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