Hubble Directly Observes Planet Orbiting Fomalhaut.
November 14, 2008
Estimated to be no more than three times Jupiter’s mass, the planet, called Fomalhaut b, orbits the bright southern star Fomalhaut, located 25 light-years away in the constellation Piscis Austrinus (the Southern Fish).
Fomalhaut has been a candidate for planet hunting ever since an excess of dust was discovered around the star in the early 1980s by the US- UK-Dutch Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS).
via ‘Hubble directly observes planet orbiting Fomalhaut’ by EurekAlert – RichardDawkins.net
A truly amazing discovery. 25 light years! Wow. For once I am uncharacteristically at a loss for words.
