habitable zone [TRAPPIST-1]

TRAPPIST-1 is a red dwarf star about 40 light years from Earth in the direction of Aquarius. Three of the seven surrounding terrestrial planets are in a habitable zone, not only suggests the possibility of extraterrestrial life, but also the potential for human existence. This makes them a promising subject for research into human settlement. I took a 360° panoramic photograph with an omnidirectional camera. The photo, centered on TRAPPIST-1 and converted into monochrome, was developed using the azimuthal equidistant projection, which is used for maps showing the routes of aircraft and ships. When viewed as a photograph, the viewer’s gaze overlaps with that of the future of humanity. When viewed as an azimuthal map projection centered on the current location, the viewer’s gaze toward earth overlaps with that of unknown life (the humanity of the future) born under a dark, red star. Subjectivity and objectivity, space and time are inverted by the difference in the characteristics of two different visual media - photographs and maps.