The hot rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b could look like (IMAGE)

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

The hot rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b could look like

Caption

This illustration shows what the hot rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b could look like based on this work. TRAPPIST-1 b, the innermost of seven known planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system, orbits its star at a distance of 0.011 AU, completing one circuit in just 1.51 Earth-days. TRAPPIST-1 b is slightly larger than Earth, but has around the same density, which indicates that it must have a rocky composition. Webb’s measurement of mid-infrared light given off by TRAPPIST-1 b suggests that the planet does not have any substantial atmosphere. The star, TRAPPIST-1, is an ultracool red dwarf (M dwarf) with a temperature of only 2,566 kelvins and a mass just 0.09 times the mass of the Sun. This illustration is based on new data gathered by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) as well as previous observations from other ground- and space-based telescopes. Webb has not captured any images of the planet. Download the full-resolution, uncompressed version and supporting visuals from the Space Telescope Science Institute. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2023/110/01GW5EPK2DB7XTAW1VDQK7YV85

Credit

Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, J. Olmsted (STScI)

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License

Public Domain

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