Only 39 light years away, ultra-cool red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 has become one of the most interesting places to look for extraterrestrial existence. It is also the inspiration for the ultra-cool TRAPPIST-1 Moonphase…
Only 39 light years away, ultra-cool red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 has become one of the most interesting places to look for extraterrestrial existence.
It is also the inspiration for the ultra-cool TRAPPIST-1 Moonphase watch .
The runaway Kickstarter success from San Francisco-based Xeric pays tribute to NASA’s recent discovery of seven Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting a single star.
And while you may not be heading into space any time soon, you can now pre-order this otherworldly timepiece, expected for release later this month.
Available in seven color combinations, the watch features a domed grille made of space-age material Hesalite. The transparent plastic was developed in the 1960s as a crystal replacement for NASA’s space-bound wristwatches.
More than just a unique design detail, the curved grid represents what a first glimpse of the TRAPPIST-1 system might look like through the observatory deck of a spaceship.
“As the spacecraft makes its 12 parsecs journey from Earth, the TRAPPIST-1 system would begin to come into view amongst the vast starry backdrop,” the original campaign page said.
Just below, two glowing planets orbit a central axis, displaying hours and minutes. Time, according to the manufacturer, reads like a traditional watch. (But I’ll be the first to admit this accessory could benefit from a digital counter, as well.)
At the heart of the TRAPPIST-1 Moonphase lies the chronometer’s namesake: a rotating display showcasing the current lunar phase. So you’ll never miss another Blue Sap Moon.
Selling for a reasonable $350, the Xeric TRAPPIST-1 Moonphase comes with a limited-time pre-order discount ($70 off), or the option to add a free strap.
NASA announced its cosmic breakthrough in early 2017. More than a year later, the search for alien presence continues, as nonprofit research organization SETI Institute reported no signs of life —yet.
“We now have unambiguous proof of the existence of the TRAPPIST-1 planet, and we know about their orbits, their sizes, and their mass,” Franck Marchis, exoplanet research chair and senior scientist at SETI, wrote in an update .
“But a lot still remains to be learned before we can claim that they have liquid water on their surface,” he continued. “And we need to know far more than that before we can conclude that these planets might be habitable, or inhabited.”
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