Artist Illustration: NASA’s Webb Measures the Temperature of a Rocky Exoplanet
*Artist Illustration*
TRAPPIST-1 b: We give it a one (M-dwarf) star review; it lacks atmosphere. ⭐
Webb measured the dayside temperature of rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b and found it to be about 450 degrees F (227 degrees C), suggesting it has no significant atmosphere. This marks the first detection of any form of light — in this case, heat energy — emitted by a rocky planet that’s as small and cool as those in our solar system.
As a refresher, TRAPPIST-1 b is the innermost of 7 rocky planets (found in 2017) orbiting the M dwarf star TRAPPIST-1. M dwarf stars are intriguing because they are 10 times as common and 2 times more likely to have rocky planets than stars like our Sun.
These new Webb results give us important clues about TRAPPIST-1 b’s 3 siblings in the habitable zone (whose conditions could support liquid water on their surfaces) as well as other M-dwarf systems. It's a key step to figuring out if planets around M-dwarf stars can sustain atmospheres needed to support life, with a promise of more science to come.
Read more: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2023/nasa-s-webb-measures-th...
This image: 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.
Credits:
ILLUSTRATION: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)
SCIENCE: Thomas P. Greene (NASA Ames), Taylor Bell (BAERI), Elsa Ducrot (CEA), Pierre-Olivier Lagage (CEA)
Image description: Illustration of a rocky planet and its red dwarf star on an empty black background. The planet is large, in the foreground on the lower right and the star is smaller, in the background at the upper left. The planet is various shades of gray, with some small craters. There is no apparent atmosphere. The left quarter of the planet (the side facing the star) is lit, while the rest is in shadow. The star has a bright orange-red glow, and appears to have a very active surface with multiple flares
Artist Illustration: NASA’s Webb Measures the Temperature of a Rocky Exoplanet
*Artist Illustration*
TRAPPIST-1 b: We give it a one (M-dwarf) star review; it lacks atmosphere. ⭐
Webb measured the dayside temperature of rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b and found it to be about 450 degrees F (227 degrees C), suggesting it has no significant atmosphere. This marks the first detection of any form of light — in this case, heat energy — emitted by a rocky planet that’s as small and cool as those in our solar system.
As a refresher, TRAPPIST-1 b is the innermost of 7 rocky planets (found in 2017) orbiting the M dwarf star TRAPPIST-1. M dwarf stars are intriguing because they are 10 times as common and 2 times more likely to have rocky planets than stars like our Sun.
These new Webb results give us important clues about TRAPPIST-1 b’s 3 siblings in the habitable zone (whose conditions could support liquid water on their surfaces) as well as other M-dwarf systems. It's a key step to figuring out if planets around M-dwarf stars can sustain atmospheres needed to support life, with a promise of more science to come.
Read more: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2023/nasa-s-webb-measures-th...
This image: 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.
Credits:
ILLUSTRATION: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)
SCIENCE: Thomas P. Greene (NASA Ames), Taylor Bell (BAERI), Elsa Ducrot (CEA), Pierre-Olivier Lagage (CEA)
Image description: Illustration of a rocky planet and its red dwarf star on an empty black background. The planet is large, in the foreground on the lower right and the star is smaller, in the background at the upper left. The planet is various shades of gray, with some small craters. There is no apparent atmosphere. The left quarter of the planet (the side facing the star) is lit, while the rest is in shadow. The star has a bright orange-red glow, and appears to have a very active surface with multiple flares