Planets on Camera: Beta Pictoris b?

[DEWLine]

Details here:

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=27004

This will be...the fifth in two weeks, right?

 

[CaptainDonovin]

Nope, it's swamp gas!!

Seriously yes and how cool is it that a star astronomers have looked at for years as a possible target for planets has been confermed. I suspect we'll get many more pics in '09.

 

[Mysterion]

Semi-On-Topic Question: we're getting pictures of planets orbiting stars tens of light-years away. Has anyone looked at Alpha or Proxima Centauri to see if there's anyting there? Being reletively close and all, I'm thinking you'd be able to image any planets there.

 

[CaptainDonovin]

Not sure but I'd be looking there next if I were a planet hunter.

 

[Mysterion]

Not sure but I'd be looking there next if I were a planet hunter.

I understand that planets at A. Cent are unlikely, but then the population of planets does seem to be more widespread than was thought a few years ago. Wouldn't hurt to look, and something interesting might turn-up.

 

[CaptainDonovin]

^ Very true but just remember that it wasn't lon ago that pulsar planets or hot Jupiters were unlikely. You're right though, something interesting always shows up.