‘ TRAPPIST- 1 planets may harbour abundant water’

Geneva, Feb. 6: The seven Earth- like planets orbiting the faint red star TRAPPIST- 1, just 40 lightyears away, may host significant amounts of water, boosting the chances of finding life outside our solar system, a study has found.

The TRAPPIST- 1 planetary system was first detected in 2016. Last year, further observations showed that there are at least seven planets in the system, each roughly the same size as the Earth.

These are named TRAPPIST1b, c, d, e, f, g and h, with increasing distance from the central star. Scientists from the European Southern Observatory led by Simon Grimm at the University of Bern in Switzerland have applied very complex computer modelling methods to all the available data and have determined the planets’ densities with much better precision than was possible before.

“Densities, while important clues to the planets’ compositions, do not say anything about habitability. However, our study is an important step forward as we continue to explore whether these planets could support life,” said Brice- Olivier Demory, researcher at the University of Bern in Switzerland.

“The TRAPPIST- 1 planets are so close together that they interfere with each other gravitationally, so the times when they pass in front of the star shift slightly,” said Grimm.

“These shifts depend on the planets’ masses, their distances and other orbital parameters,” he said. “With a computer model, we simulate the planets’ orbits until the calculated transits agree with the observed values, and hence derive the planetary masses,” he added.