<p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRAPPIST-1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Trappist-1</a> system consists of an ultracool red dwarf at a distance of 12.5 pc from the Sun, surrounded by a system of planets with orbital semi-major axes ranging from 0.01 to 0.06 au.</p>
<p>As seen from the Earth, the separation between central star and the exoplanets would be 0.001 to 0.006 arcseconds.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.stsci.edu/jwst/instrumentation/imaging-modes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">imaging resolution</a> of the JWST at best is about 0.06 arcsec in the near-infrared (2 micrometres) so there is no way that the star and the (much fainter) exoplanets can be resolved separately in any image taken of Trappist-1 by JWST.</p>
<p>Looking at the JWST schedule, I see that Trappist-1 is being observed using NIRISS Single-Object Slitless Spectroscopy. i.e. This is spectroscopy, not imaging. Any image<span class="math-container">$^\dagger$</span>, will actually be a smeared out &quot;rainbow&quot; in the near-infrared part of the spectrum. The aim will presumably be to look for faint traces of the exoplanets in the stellar spectrum as they move in front of, and behind, the star.</p>
<p><span class="math-container">$\dagger$</span> Actually, I see that the spectrally dispersed image is accompanied by a snapshot undispersed image to confirm the positioning of the target in the field of view. Nevertheless, the point about not being able to resolve the star and exoplanets separately remains.</p>
<p>The JWST data for Trappist-1 can be found by going to the <a href="https://mast.stsci.edu/portal/Mashup/Clients/Mast/Portal.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MAST archive</a> and searching for &quot;Trappist-1&quot; and checking the JWST filter.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-20T19:03:18.557Z
Thank you very much for your excellent answer. I just need your confirmation regarding one more thing: is the redditor's image made from this NIRISS spectroscopy data? And where does NASA release this NIRIS data?
William
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-20T19:18:47.943Z
@William the article you referenced answers both those questions.
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-23T09:43:17.773Z
This also addresses the motivation from the comments that "NASA is holding back the images of these exoplanets (aliens and so on)" - JWST is an amazing tool....but it would have a job resolving a planet, let alone any alien life on it. Too many conspiracy theories based off sci-fi with no understanding of the constraints of reality.
Lio Elbammalf
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-20T17:59:09.870Z
2023-02-20T07:59:50.443Z
2023-02-20T07:59:50.443Z
ProfRob
<p>As ProfRob mentioned, a literal image is not being obtained. The system is being measured spectroscopically, so the output (…after calibration, formatting, etc.) will be some sort of chart- a ‘squiggly line,’ perhaps a scatterplot. Impressionable laymen -and the media outlets that pander to such reactionaries- don’t ‘get’ squiggly lines or scatterplots. So popsci.com, Mashable, etc. won’t echo it.</p>
<p>This has spilled over back to university and FFRDC public affairs staff; if it won’t benefit the university/research group via positive press, what incentive do they have to push it?</p>
<p>The conspiracy nuts have incentive, of course- Argument from Silence is by definition an argument, and the nutz will hunt for any argument that makes sense (to them), externally (or internally) consistent or not.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-25T13:26:23.763Z
2022-09-25T13:26:23.763Z
caInstrument
<p>As the comment mentions, the [MAST archive has data][1], A lot of it is still restricted (which means that the primary researchers still have &quot;dibs&quot; on the data) Some datasets are available - but interpreting them is well above my pay grade</p>
<p>You can find some spectra and download data in fits format. What isn't available (probably because the data is still being interpreted) is any analysis of what the data means.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-11-24T06:41:56.547Z
2022-11-24T06:41:56.547Z
James K
<p>According to JWST weekly schedules (found <a href="https://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science-execution/observing-schedules" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>), the Trappist-1 system was among the telescope's targets during early July.</p>
<p>The only JWST image of an exoplanet in the Trappist-1 system that I've managed to find was posted by a redditor (as explained by an article <a href="https://www.inverse.com/science/webb-trappist-habitable-planets" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>). This is a processed image and the poster failed to provide a link to the original data.</p>
<p>So is there any JWST image released by NASA of the Trappist-1 system or any of its planets? If not, why is it taking NASA too long?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-20T15:51:52.270Z
I'm no expert and so I have no idea. It's just that I've recently read somewhere ridiculous posts by some conspiracy theory subscribers that NASA is holding back the images of these exoplanets (aliens and so on), so I just wanted to get to the bottom of this.
William
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-20T16:42:41.107Z
Well there won't be any images of any of the Trappist planets because JWST does not have that capability.
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-20T18:18:45.117Z
The image you posted is the host star, not an exoplanet. Furthermore, data processing takes as long as it takes. There are thousands of people all around the globe involved in the data processing and checking it off, so naturally the collaborations take a while until they reach concensus.
AtmosphericPrisonEscape
<observational-astronomy><space-telescope><james-webb-space-telescope>
Has NASA released any JWST images of Trappist-1? If not, why?
William
# Has NASA released any JWST images of Trappist-1? If not, why?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-09-20)

According to JWST weekly schedules (found [here](https://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science-execution/observing-schedules)), the Trappist-1 system was among the telescope's targets during early July.

The only JWST image of an exoplanet in the Trappist-1 system that I've managed to find was posted by a redditor (as explained by an article [here](https://www.inverse.com/science/webb-trappist-habitable-planets)). This is a processed image and the poster failed to provide a link to the original data.

So is there any JWST image released by NASA of the Trappist-1 system or any of its planets? If not, why is it taking NASA too long?

**Tags:** observational-astronomy, space-telescope, james-webb-space-telescope

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I'm no expert and so I have no idea. It's just that I've recently read somewhere ridiculous posts by some conspiracy theory subscribers that NASA is holding back the images of these exoplanets (aliens and so on), so I just wanted to get to the bottom of this.  
> **username_1**: Well there won't be any images of any of the Trappist planets because JWST does not have that capability.  
> **username_2**: The image you posted is the host star, not an exoplanet. Furthermore, data processing takes as long as it takes. There are thousands of people all around the globe involved in the data processing and checking it off, so naturally the collaborations take a while until they reach concensus.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-09-20. Score: 39

The [Trappist-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRAPPIST-1) system consists of an ultracool red dwarf at a distance of 12.5 pc from the Sun, surrounded by a system of planets with orbital semi-major axes ranging from 0.01 to 0.06 au.

As seen from the Earth, the separation between central star and the exoplanets would be 0.001 to 0.006 arcseconds.

The [imaging resolution](https://www.stsci.edu/jwst/instrumentation/imaging-modes) of the JWST at best is about 0.06 arcsec in the near-infrared (2 micrometres) so there is no way that the star and the (much fainter) exoplanets can be resolved separately in any image taken of Trappist-1 by JWST.

Looking at the JWST schedule, I see that Trappist-1 is being observed using NIRISS Single-Object Slitless Spectroscopy. i.e. This is spectroscopy, not imaging. Any image$^\dagger$, will actually be a smeared out "rainbow" in the near-infrared part of the spectrum. The aim will presumably be to look for faint traces of the exoplanets in the stellar spectrum as they move in front of, and behind, the star.

$\dagger$ Actually, I see that the spectrally dispersed image is accompanied by a snapshot undispersed image to confirm the positioning of the target in the field of view. Nevertheless, the point about not being able to resolve the star and exoplanets separately remains.

The JWST data for Trappist-1 can be found by going to the [MAST archive](https://mast.stsci.edu/portal/Mashup/Clients/Mast/Portal.html) and searching for "Trappist-1" and checking the JWST filter.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you very much for your excellent answer. I just need your confirmation regarding one more thing: is the redditor's image made from this NIRISS spectroscopy data? And where does NASA release this NIRIS data?  
> **username_1**: @username_0 the article you referenced answers both those questions.  
> **username_3**: This also addresses the motivation from the comments that "NASA is holding back the images of these exoplanets (aliens and so on)" - JWST is an amazing tool....but it would have a job resolving a planet, let alone any alien life on it. Too many conspiracy theories based off sci-fi with no understanding of the constraints of reality.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2022-09-25. Score: 4

As username_1 mentioned, a literal image is not being obtained. The system is being measured spectroscopically, so the output (…after calibration, formatting, etc.) will be some sort of chart- a ‘squiggly line,’ perhaps a scatterplot. Impressionable laymen -and the media outlets that pander to such reactionaries- don’t ‘get’ squiggly lines or scatterplots. So popsci.com, Mashable, etc. won’t echo it.

This has spilled over back to university and FFRDC public affairs staff; if it won’t benefit the university/research group via positive press, what incentive do they have to push it?

The conspiracy nuts have incentive, of course- Argument from Silence is by definition an argument, and the nutz will hunt for any argument that makes sense (to them), externally (or internally) consistent or not.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2022-11-24. Score: 1

As the comment mentions, the [MAST archive has data][1], A lot of it is still restricted (which means that the primary researchers still have "dibs" on the data) Some datasets are available - but interpreting them is well above my pay grade

You can find some spectra and download data in fits format. What isn't available (probably because the data is still being interpreted) is any analysis of what the data means.


---

