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Spitzer Observes TRAPPIST-1

The TRAPPIST-1 star, an ultra-cool dwarf, has seven Earth-size planets orbiting it
Spitzer Space Telescope, one of agency’s great observatories, one of Spitzer's great discoveries was that of the TRAPPIST-1 star, an ultra-cool dwarf, which has seven Earth-size planets orbiting it.

As NASA pays tribute and says goodbye to the Spitzer Space Telescope, one of agency’s Great Observatories, one of Spitzer’s great discoveries was that of the TRAPPIST-1 star, an ultra-cool dwarf, which has seven Earth-size planets orbiting it. Spitzer, the ground-based TRAPPIST (TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope) telescope, and other ground-based observatories jointly made the discovery that was announced in Feb. 2017. The system was named for the TRAPPIST telescope.

The discovery sets a new record for greatest number of habitable-zone planets found around a single star outside our solar system. All of these seven planets could have liquid water – key to life as we know it – under the right atmospheric conditions, but the chances are highest with the three in the habitable zone.​

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech