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Moroccan Scientists Contribute to Study on TRAPPIST-1 Exoplanets’ Composition
Thursday 28 January 2021, by
A study published in the international journal "Planetary Science Journal" reports a new astronomical discovery. It is the work of several researchers, including Moroccans from the Laboratory of High Energy Physics and Astrophysics (LPHEA) and the Oukaimeden Observatory of the Cadi Ayyad University (UCA) of Marrakech.
According to a press release from the UCA, this new study published on January 22 has shown that the 7 rocky planets of TRAPPIST-1 discovered in February 2017 have similarities in terms of densities. In other words, they are made up of materials such as iron, oxygen, magnesium and silicon that are found in most rocky planets. But unlike the planet Earth, they are about 8% less dense, the study specifies.
The rocky planets of TRAPPIST-1 were observed, as part of this study, by researchers through space telescopes (Kepler and Spitzer) and ground-based telescopes.