big stepping stone for scientists ’ search for life beyond Earth . However , is it possible for life to exist beyond our solar system ? To answer that question , I will pass it on to the Co-Owner of the T . A . Space Agency , who will teach you about TRAPPIST-1 & Mars .
( Switch partners and start zooming into TRAPPIST-1 .)
Scene 3 : TRAPPIST-1 ( Slowly rotate around TRAPPIST-1 and speed up time ( 12 hours ), allowing the viewer to visualize the orbit of TRAPPIST ’ s planets . Zoom in and rotate around slowly .)
Hello everyone . I am Dr . Alexander B ., and I will be taking over this portion of the trip , as we further explore the possibilities for life outside of Earth . This is TRAPPIST-1 , a system of seven Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting around a single star . TRAPPIST-1 has piqued the interest of astrobiologists , as three of its seven planets are located in the habitable zone , the area around a star where a rocky planet could most likely have liquid water . Notice the green ring with three planets inside of it . That is TRAPPIST-1 ’ s habitable zone . TRAPPIST-1 is 40 light years , or 235 trillion miles away from Earth . This means it takes 40 years for light to travel between that system and ours , so when we gaze at it through our telescopes from Earth , we ’ re actually seeing what it looked like 40 years ago . If there were any aliens over there looking at us , they would see us wearing leg-warmers and neon headbands , which could be why they haven ’ t bothered to visit . When compared to the enormous size of the universe , 40 light years might not seem like much , but the system is far enough away that we aren ’ t going to be sending probes to it anytime soon . Even if we could make a probe that travels at the speed of light , which is impossible , it would take 40 years to reach its destination . That is the same as flying from Earth to our sun over two and a half million times .
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