HUBBLE ATLAS
Seven planets orbiting the ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 — image from the Hubble Space Telescope

Illustrations

Seven planets orbiting the ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1

August 31, 2017 · ESA/Hubble

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This is an artist’s impression of the TRAPPIST-1 system, showcasing all seven planets in various phases. When a planet transits across the disk of the red dwarf host star, as two of the planets here are shown to do, it creates a dip in the star’s light that can be detected from Earth.

Also during such transits astronomers are able to study the potential atmospheres of these planets.