TRAPPIST-1

exoplanets · red dwarf · space discovery

A tiny star. TRAPPIST-1 is much smaller than our Sun, with only about 9% of the Sun's mass. It's so small that its radius is only slightly larger than Jupiter, the biggest planet in our Solar System.

Cool and dim. This red dwarf has a surface temperature of about 2,566 Kelvin, which is much cooler than the Sun. Because it's so dim, we can only see it with a telescope, even though it's one of our closest stellar neighbors.

Nearby in space. TRAPPIST-1 is located about 40.66 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius. That sounds far, but it's actually one of the closest stars to Earth that we know has planets around it.

Seven worlds orbiting. Seven exoplanets circle this red dwarf star, and some of them might have conditions perfect for liquid water. Scientists are very interested in studying these planets to see if any could support life.

Older than our Sun. TRAPPIST-1 is estimated to be 7.6 billion years old, making it older than our entire Solar System. This ancient star has been shining steadily for billions of years.