TRAPPIST-1 system (Project 2 for the 2017 class (including solution))

(From NASA Exoplanet Exploration: Galleries: TRAPPIST-1.)

Recently it was discovered that multiple planets orbit the ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 about 40 light years from earth. All of these planets are of a size comparable to earth and three orbit in the habitable zone of their star and are therefore possible candidates for worlds with liquid water and possibly life. Their very tight orbits bring the planets into close vicinity.

This discovery has spurred the imagination, with people wondering what it would be like to be on these planets as shown in the poster above. In particular, the close vicinity of the planets would make it possible to see multiple other planets in the sky. Some of these planets might come so close that one could, in principle, be able to see continents or even smaller landmarks and structures with the naked eye.

Your task is to

1. simulate the innermost six planets of TRAPPIST-1 and
2. analyze the visibility of nearby planets and to decide, which of these planets would be the best one to visit for planet watching.

In particular, use your simulations to decide if the poster is scientifically accurate: Will someone on TRAPPIST-1e be able to see five other planets in the sky so that details of their surfaces would in principle be visible with the naked eye?

You will write a short report to communicate, discuss and summarize your reasoning and your results. The work is carried out in teams of two or three students.