I'm surprised nobody else posted this?? - Its the most amazing break through in recent astronomy and might well lead the way to knowing where exactly we should be looking for other life in the universe.

John.
**************

Fomalhaut b - Mankind's first images of Extra-solar Planets

The newly discovered planet Fomalhaut b sits inside the dust belt surrounding the star Fomalhaut. Scientists made the discovery after blocking out the glare from the star using special instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope.



From the BBC News website;

The first pictures of planets outside our Solar System have been taken, two groups report in the journal Science.

Visible and infrared images have been snapped of a planet orbiting a star 25 light-years away.

The planet is believed to be the coolest, lowest-mass object ever seen outside our own solar neighborhood.

In a separate study, an exoplanetary system, comprising three planets, has been directly imaged, circling a star in the constellation Pegasus.

While several claims have been made to such direct detection before, they have later been proven wrong or await confirmation.

The search for exoplanets has up to now depended on detecting either the wobble they induce in their parent star or, if their orbits are side-on to telescopes, watching them dim the star's light as they pass in front of it.

Being able to directly detect the light from these planets will allow astronomers to study their composition and atmospheres in detail.

Quote;It's a profound and overwhelming experience to lay eyes on a planet never before seen
Paul Kalas, University of California.

Links to this news story;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7725584.stm
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,451544,00.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-planet14-2008nov14,0,7848401.story

Three exoplanets orbiting the same star have been imaged directly


Infrared image of one planet orbiting HR 8799. Right: Isolated dots are planets; multicolored ball is residual light from HR 8799.


.

---

. . . Thanks Johnney - Really Exquisite Photography there too eh

---

BOINC Wiki . . .

Science Status Page . . .

The keck telescope is used as the verifying telescope. Cancri 55 is one that has returned many hits on seti@home from this area of space. It was directly photographed with 4 saturn sized planets. Three are close to the star but the fourth is a very large gap in between with room for terrestrial type rocky planets like the earth. It is also amongst the top 200 of reobservations for constant signals that reoccure. CCDs are the new eyes for telescopes now days and many more discoverys will be made. The multi color pixel shot is from Keck observeratory. it shows the stars near sun like is size and a bit dimmer and older. We could very well be listening from transmissions from everyday communications for ETs@home. They are maybe watching I love Lucy from the early 50s......

... Cancri 55 is one that has returned many hits on seti@home from this area of space...

What numbers?

Any links?

Cheers,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Hi , have you seen the peace off movie on the first link:
Formalhaut

---

I dont know how to post direct photographs that Ive found. I fanyone can tell me how please do.....

I dont know how to post direct photographs that Ive found. I fanyone can tell me how please do.....

[img][/img]

> hope u r well Sir . . .

---

BOINC Wiki . . .

Science Status Page . . .