TRAPPIST-1 Planet Lineup - Feb. 2018 (unannotated)

Spitzer_ssc2018-04b2_1024

spitzer_ssc2018-04b2 February 5th, 2018

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt, T. Pyle (IPAC)

This artist's concept shows what the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system may look like, based on available data about the planets' diameters, masses and distances from the host star, as of February 2018.

This image represents an updated version of one originally created in 2017. The planets' appearances were re-imagined based on a 2018 study using additional observations from NASA's Spitzer and Kepler space telescopes, in addition to previous data from Spitzer, the ground-based TRAPPIST (TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope) telescope and other ground-based observatories. The system was named for the TRAPPIST telescope.

The new analysis concludes that the seven planets of TRAPPIST-1 are all rocky, and some could contain significant amounts of water. TRAPPIST-1 is an ultra-cool dwarf star in the constellation Aquarius, and its planets orbit very close to it.

The form that water would take on TRAPPIST-1 planets would depend on the amount of heat they receive from their star, which is a mere 9 percent as massive as our Sun. Planets closest to the star are more likely to host water in the form of atmospheric vapor, while those farther away may have water frozen on their surfaces as ice. TRAPPIST-1e is the rockiest planet of them all, but still is believed to have the potential to host some liquid water.

In this illustration, the relative sizes of the planets and their host star, an ultracool dwarf, are all shown to scale.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/6476-ssc2018-04b2-TRAPPIST-1-Planet-Lineup-Feb-2018-unannotated-

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 > Terrestrial
Star > Spectral Type > M

Distance

Universescale1
39 light years
Spitzer_ssc2018-04b2_1280
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ID
ssc2018-04b2
Subject Category
B.1.1.1   B.3.3.7  
Subject Name
TRAPPIST-1
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt, T. Pyle (IPAC)
Release Date
2018-02-05
Lightyears
39.6
Redshift
39.6
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/6476-ssc2018-04b2-TRAPPIST-1-Planet-Lineup-Feb-2018-unannotated-
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
ssc2018-04b2.tif
Metadata Date
2018-02-05
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
39 light years

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