The TRAPPIST-1 System: A Landmark Discovery Year Discovered: 2017
Discovered By: Michael Gillon
Location: TRAPPIST-1
TRAPPIST-1 is classified as a red dwarf star, which is the most common type of star in the Milky Way galaxy. This star system has garnered significant interest due to the presence of seven Earth-sized planets, three of which are located in the "Goldilocks Zone." This zone is crucial as it represents the region around a star where conditions may be just right for liquid water to exist on a planet's surface.
The TRAPPIST-1 System: A Nearby Exoplanet Discovery Source: ©Shutterstock/Benni0004
In 2017, astronomers discovered a solar system just 39 light-years from Earth, known as TRAPPIST-1, which orbits seven Earth-sized planets. The research was led by Michael Gillon from the University of Liège in Belgium, utilizing the TRAPPIST telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile.
