Do you know what is common between Trappist 1, 2MASS J23062928–0502285, and K2-112? Most people would feel puzzled but not the physicists and enthusiasts of astronomy and stargazers. They can quickly tell that all the three names or nomenclature relate to the same ultra-cool red dwarf star from the Aquarius constellation. In February 2017, a team of astronomers announced the discovery of seven planets around the red dwarf star. They used various space and ground-based telescopes, including the Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope TRAPPIST installed at the La Silla Observatory in Chile, to record their observations.
Trappist 1 – the red dwarf star
In the year 2000, astronomers and scientists cleared all doubts about where is Trappist 1 when they discovered the star and started observing it closely to understand if the star system could host a life-friendly planet. It took almost 16 years for the scientists to confirm seven terrestrial planets surrounding the star, whereas initially, they had confirmed only three. Moreover, the red dwarf star weighed only 9% compared to the weight of the Sun, and its radius was slightly larger than Jupiter. The 7.6 billion-year-old planet is even older than the Solar System and at a faraway distance of 39 light-years from the Sun. It’s a hot planet with a surface temperature of 2290oC. The hype around the discovery of earth mass planets is because these could be a promising target in searching for life beyond the Earth.
Closely knit family of seven planets
NASA Scientists believed that they had discovered the unique planetary system around the Sun until they announced it on February 22, 2017. For years, scientists, physicists, and astronomers have been frantically searching for life beyond the Earth within the Solar System. Their interest in the seven earth-sized planets surrounding the cool red dwarf and dimly lit star grew many more times because they were hopeful that some were habitable. Despite the planets situated close to the star, they would sit within Mercury’s orbit around the Sun. The planet’s proximity to the star reduces the orbit time and increases circling frequency; it becomes easier to study them. A few of them could still have the right temperature to hold water.
Scope for a natural experiment
Scientists are eager to know what happens to similar planets located slightly different from the star. Since discovering the first two planets in 2016, scientists have found similarities between the planets and the Earth. Trappist 1 presents a ground for a natural experiment. The seven planets offer seven perspectives on evolution and planet formation around the same star.
There is yet no clear evidence that the planets have an atmosphere. Hopes are high about discovering the faint signs of the atmosphere by using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. But, scientists are pleased about Trappist 1, which has become their new learning ground and invigorated their search for life on other planets beyond Earth.
