Comparison of dayside temperature of TRAPPIST-1 b (IMAGE)
Caption
This graphic compares the dayside temperature of TRAPPIST-1 b as measured using Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to computer models of what the temperature would be under various conditions. The models take into account known properties of the system, including the temperature of the star and the planet’s orbital distance. The temperature of the dayside of Mercury is also shown for reference. The dayside brightness of TRAPPIST-1 b at 15 microns corresponds to a temperature of about 500 kelvins (roughly 450 degrees Fahrenheit). This is consistent with the temperature assuming the planet is tidally locked (one side facing the star at all times), with a dark-colored surface, no atmosphere, and no redistribution of heat from the dayside to the nightside. If the heat energy from the star were distributed evenly around the planet (for example, by a circulating carbon dioxide-free atmosphere), the temperature at 15 microns would be 400 kelvins (260 degrees Fahrenheit). If the atmosphere had a substantial amount of carbon dioxide, it would emit even less 15-micron light and would appear to be even cooler. Although TRAPPIST-1 b is hot by Earth standards, it is cooler than the dayside of Mercury, which consists of bare rock and no significant atmosphere. Mercury receives about 1.6 times more energy from the Sun than TRAPPIST-1 b does from its star. Download the full-resolution, uncompressed version and supporting visuals from the Space Telescope Science Institute. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2023/110/01GW5FWF39VDAZH7MNDEZM1EQV
Credit
Credits: Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, J. Olmsted (STScI); Science: Thomas Greene (NASA Ames), Taylor Bell (BAERI), Elsa Ducrot (CEA), Pierre-Olivier Lagage (CEA)
Usage Restrictions
No restrictions.
License
Public Domain