for-all-mankind:NASA’s recent announcement of the TRAPPIST-1 star system marks the first time that t
for-all-mankind:NASA’s recent announcement of the TRAPPIST-1 star system marks the first time that three Earth-sized rocky exoplanets have been found in the habitable zone of a nearby star. However, the TRAPPIST system is vastly different than our own.Officially named TRAPPIST 1a, the star is classified as an ultra-cool dwarf with surface temperatures around 4,130 degrees Fahrenheit - 3,770 degrees cooler than our own sun. Additionally, the star only has around 8% the mass of our own star and is slightly larger than Jupiter.All the planets around TRAPPIST 1a orbit closer to the star than we do to our own, and all orbit closer than Mercury does. The diagram above compares the Jovian system to TRAPPIST-1a, showing in scale the relative size of its planets and their orbital period. A more detailed graphic shows more information, such as the planet’s distance away from the star, their estimated radius, and mass.Additional observations will be made by the Spitzer space telescope in the coming weeks and months to gather more information on the system, possibly giving more insight on the atmospheric conditions of the potentially-habitable worlds, TRAPPIST 1e, 1f, and 1g.Larger version here.P/C: Nature, Space.com -- source link
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