A
group of astronomers led by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for
Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany have captured the first ever photograph
of a planet caught in the act of formation in its dusty disc
surrounding a young star.
Using the SPHERE instrument on the
ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), the international group of researchers
were able to detect the young planet, called PDS 70b, clearing a path
through the dusty ring surrounding the young star. The instrument also
allowed the scientists to garner data on the brightness of the planet,
which revealed properties of its atmosphere.
The planet stands
out distinctly in this image, appearing as a bright dot to the right of
the blackened centre of the image. In this image, the planet was found
to be located roughly three billion kilometres from its star, roughly
the same distance between Uranus and the Sun.
The dark region
located at the centre of the image is the product of a coronagraph. This
mask blocks the blinding light of the star, allowing astronomers to
detect its much fainter disc and planetary companion. Without this mask,
the faint light of the planet would have been completely overpowered by
its parent star.
Read more about this fascinating story at: http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1821/
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Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Astronomers Capture First Image of Newborn Planet
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