Astro-Image of the Day: Direct photo of alien world!

[mckitterick]

What we have here is a historic image: This is the first photo of a planet orbiting a Sun-like star outside of our solar system. The object is about 8 times the mass of Jupiter, so still smaller than a star. The odd part of all this is that its presumed orbit is 11 times that of Neptune’s - extremely far away.

Click the image to see the story.

Right now astronomers are calling it "1RXS J160929.1-210524." Um, any better ideas?

Wow!
Chris

Comments

[bodandra.livejournal.com]

That is very impressive, Chris.

[stuology.livejournal.com]

Nope, but it reminds me of a Simpson's quote:

"It's wonderful, Marge! I've never felt so accepted in all my life. These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the
order in which I joined."

(something like that)

Is it a gas planet?

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Heh.

Must be, what with being that large. It would be huge: If it orbited our Sun, it would shine many times brighter than the brightest planet in our night-time sky. You could see it during the daytime.

[fortyozspartan.livejournal.com]

At first glance that sentence is entirely incorrect until one notices the word "like." Why do scientists do this to me?

[edichka2.livejournal.com]

Was it found based on solar wobble? Even with that much mass, that's a lot of distance for a planet's gravity to affect its sun, neh?

Hell, what do I know -- I'm just recently learning this stuff along with the five-year-old. I'll share the photo with him tonight.

- Eddie

[kansas-dave.livejournal.com]

Let's call it: Spectaculon!

[ericreynolds.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's amazing. Interesting with an orbit that distant from its star that it's bright enough to be imaged.

[steve98052.livejournal.com]

Very cool discovery!