Astronomers Capture First Images of Newly-Discovered Solar System

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Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.
-- Richard Feynman

Never mind the economy!

At least forget it for a few minutes and dwell upon the notion of imaging another system.

Imagine all the moons.

I call dibs on the yellow one.

There's got to be a yellow one.

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0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 ...

01...Green. It's got to be green. I want the one made of green cheese.. pete

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A third rate theory forbids.
A second rate theory explains after the fact.
A first rate theory predicts.
A. Lomonosov

WOW!
I assume that the disk in the middle of the picture is the dust disk. So they are not imaging the star itself in that image. I wonder if the dust disk helped with the planet imaging, blocking the light from the star?

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At night the stars put on a show for free (Carole King)

One Earth, One Sky - IYA 2009
All moderation in purple

And since the closest planet to the star is 24 AU out, that leaves plenty of room for something smaller to be hanging out there, just waiting to be discovered.

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The fourth directly detected planet announced today, the one Hubble saw, orbits Fomalhaut.

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Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.
-- Richard Feynman

First Light! Woot!

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There is no problem that cannot be solved by a suitable application of high explosives - US Army Demolitions School

I just saw Hayley's comet, she waved, Said "why you always running in place? Even the man in the moon disappeared, Somewhere in the stratosphere" - Shinedown

http://worldsofothersuns.home.comcast.net/

A yellow star? A green star?

Would you believe blue for HR8799?

"The host star is a bright, blue A-type star, which has been mostly neglected in ground and space-based direct imaging survey since it offers a less favorable contrast between the bright star and faint planet"

I would bet it is primarily white with a tinge of blue. Once the colors are finally determined, the news should be ready for public attention.

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Lighten up! This is a stellar board! Author: duh.

"The mean of five measures each of which is not worth a dang (sinc), has a maximum value of only five dangs (sinc)". Heber Curtis

"(sinc)" - spelling is not correct (in its orginal form) :)

"The furthest planet in the new system orbits just inside a disk of dusty debris, similar to that produced by the comets of the Kuiper belt of our solar system (just beyond the orbit of Neptune at 30 times Earth-sun distance)."

Hoe exactly did they determine this?

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"In the end the aggressors always destroy themselves, making way for others who know how to cooperate and get along. Life is much less a competitive struggle for survival than a triumph of cooperation and creativity."- Fritjof Capra

www.gonzoscience.com

No, the dust disk is exterior to the planets.

Actually, sounds like they mention both.

"The furthest planet in the new system orbits just inside a disk of dusty debris, similar to that produced by the comets of the Kuiper belt of our solar system (just beyond the orbit of Neptune at 30 times Earth-sun distance)."

"HR 8799's dust disk stands out as one of the most massive in orbit around any star within 300 light years of Earth," said UCLA'S Ben Zuckerman."

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"In the end the aggressors always destroy themselves, making way for others who know how to cooperate and get along. Life is much less a competitive struggle for survival than a triumph of cooperation and creativity."- Fritjof Capra

www.gonzoscience.com

Here's one of the Gemini Observatory images.

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My Portal Space Data Wiki - "Collaborative space exploration and discovery in a Web 2.0 social networking environment."

I assume that English is not your first language. The fact that they mention "dust disk" twice does not imply that there are two dust disks.

George, you're obsessed!

True, I'm a colorful catalyst, at best.

[Added: Besides, as Kahn (Ricardo) would say, "they task me!" ]

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Lighten up! This is a stellar board! Author: duh.

"The mean of five measures each of which is not worth a dang (sinc), has a maximum value of only five dangs (sinc)". Heber Curtis

"(sinc)" - spelling is not correct (in its orginal form) :)

I think they should give a proper name to the first planet found. Due to the fact that it was Herschel that discovered in 1781 the very first planet for mankind beyond the ones that had been known for centuries, I think this first planet seen directly by telescope can only have one name given it....
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George. [Name Herschel gave his discovery, only to have it ripped from him by demented minds that insisted a name like Uranus was better. ]

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Lighten up! This is a stellar board! Author: duh.

"The mean of five measures each of which is not worth a dang (sinc), has a maximum value of only five dangs (sinc)". Heber Curtis

"(sinc)" - spelling is not correct (in its orginal form) :)

This is awesome in the extreme and probably one of the most important milestones in astronomy in recent years.

With the experience gained and larger, more sensitive equipment that is constantly coming on line - lets hope this is one of many.

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Rocannon's world!!!!!

I am curious if Fomalhaut b was "the first" direct observation or if one of the other three were?

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Lighten up! This is a stellar board! Author: duh.

"The mean of five measures each of which is not worth a dang (sinc), has a maximum value of only five dangs (sinc)". Heber Curtis

"(sinc)" - spelling is not correct (in its orginal form) :)

I've been to Fomalhaut in Elite II. Nice place to visit but i wouldn't want to live there.

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---"Why do things have to suck so bad?" a friend once asked me.
"Because space is a vacuum and that's a lot of suck." I replied.
(Actual quote)---

It is sweet to know that now that Hubble is nearing its last years it still managed to image an extrasolar planet. Finding extrasolar planets was one of the tasks where it was hoped to be successful.

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Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.
-- Richard Feynman

I agree - I like it when a machine outlives its design life yet still is useful. Like a B-52 or the mars rovers. They just keep on going.

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---"Why do things have to suck so bad?" a friend once asked me.
"Because space is a vacuum and that's a lot of suck." I replied.
(Actual quote)---

Very cool news, along with the Hubble picture of Fomalhaut b!

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"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire.
"All your bias are belong to us" Ara Pacis.

Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes
He star'd at the Pacific — and all his men
Look'd at each other with a wild surmise —
Silent, upon a peak in Darien.

Hah, hah- Roccanon's world; one of my favourites; and so is the Keats poem.

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New Orion's Arm Site . The Starlark . Against a Diamond Sky (OA Novella Collection) . OA Flickr set

Amazing photos of what we now know must be common out there. Exciting discoveries must be just around the corner.

Does anyone know if the binocular telescope on Mt. Grahm has had any luck yet in detecting any extra solar planets? Wasn't it hoped that it would use interferometry to help do this?

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"A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again."

Alexander Pope, 1709

New Scientist Space: Hubble spotted the outermost planet 10 years ago.

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Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.
-- Richard Feynman

Is there a way people can get involved in processing these old Hubble images as the New Scientist article suggests ? I know that there is a website where one can get involved in the search for exoplanets using other techniques.

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