The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard
The Cosmic Companion - Astronomy, Space, Technology Advancing Humanity
The TRAPPIST-1 Bunch - Seven GROOVY Exoplanets! - The Cosmic Companion 04 Oct. 2022
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The TRAPPIST-1 Bunch - Seven GROOVY Exoplanets! - The Cosmic Companion 04 Oct. 2022

Exploring seven really HAPPENING planets just 40 light years from Earth!

Hello everyone!

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we journey just 40 light years from our home, examining the TRAPPIST-1 family of planets, one of the most interesting families of worlds yet discovered by astronomers. 

Solar systems all begin with a star, don’t they? I mean, it’s as good of a place to start as any, in’t? The stellar furnace at the center of this family of worlds is a cool, red star, conveniently named TRAPPIST-1. 

Less than 12 percent as large as our own Sun and only eight percent as massive, the TRAPPIST-1 star was only discovered in the year 2000. 

The surface of this star, radiating heat at just 2,260 degrees Celsius, is hot enough to melt almost — but not all — metals. Darn you, tungsten!

Listen to the podcast here or watch the video version of this episode!

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Clear skies,

James

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The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard
The Cosmic Companion - Astronomy, Space, Technology Advancing Humanity
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