First extrasolar planet observed

[luc]

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6864

"Astronomers have directly observed an extrasolar planet for the first time, but are at a loss to explain what they see."

[5614]

"It was first seen at infrared wavelengths with the Very Large Telescope in Chile in April 2004," -- that article

 

nice name for a telescope!

 

what's so special about this? ive mean they've indirectly seen other planets before, its just like another planet but they've seen it directly, rather than, well the article says "indirectly", its hardly indirect, its just not by itself, like they've seen other planets against their sun, rather than in space not against a bright (sun) background, so its hardly like its a whole new amazing thing, still worthy of a thread!

[Martin]

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6864

"Astronomers have directly observed an extrasolar planet for the first time' date=' but are at a loss to explain what they see."[/quote']

 

Luc, I am glad to see more about this planet at Brown Dwarf 1207.

 

I seem to remember seeing an earlier picture of it last year, when it was still not sure whether it was gravitationally bound to the brown dwarf.

 

I see that the orbital period is estimated at 2500 years and the distance to the primary is reckoned to be somewhat more than that between the Sol and Pluto.

 

visual extrasolar planet spotting is still tenuous, it is amazing they can do it at all.

[Martin]

"It was first seen at infrared wavelengths with the Very Large Telescope in Chile in April 2004' date='"[/i'] -- that article

 

nice name for a telescope!

 

what's so special about this? ive mean they've indirectly seen other planets before, its just like another planet but they've seen it directly, rather than, well the article says "indirectly", its hardly indirect, its just not by itself, like they've seen other planets against their sun, rather than in space not against a bright (sun) background, so its hardly like its a whole new amazing thing, still worthy of a thread!

 

5614, in one sense what Luc and you and I are observing is not so much the extrasolar planets themselves but the development of a human ability to see them

 

when we have evolved the ability to see them, we will send probes to some of them and perhaps send life to some

 

to me even small steps along the way can be interesting because they show how far our senses extend------so far NOT EVEN TO A PLANET AROUND A STAR----but only to a planet around a brown dwarf, something that has not even achieved nuclear fusion but is only heated by its own gravitational contraction! for us to see the planet, the star must still be very dim (only infrared warm) and the planet must still be very far away (pluto distance) so that we can image it as separate from the star.

 

how long before we can see an earthsize planet only 1 AU from a type G (sunlike) star?

[Ophiolite]

to me even small steps along the way can be interesting

And our stride and pace are both increasing.

[ydoaPs]

is it the same one as my avatar?

[Severian]

I really need to walk across the corridor and ask some questions, because I am aware that the people in the office opposite mine are working on this very subject....

[luc]

is it the same one as my avatar?

Yes, it's the same. In september 2004 there appeared info about this planet, but then it was less sure that it was truly a planet.

Anyway (even that is impossible that this message get to them), greetings to the habitants of that distant planet! Here in Earth we are a bit crazy and bad tempered sometimes, but deep in our hearts we are good people!