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Spitzer Telescope Discovers Planets Via Infrared

Posted by Zonk on from the earth-like-planet-in-my-sites dept.

DirtyJ writes "Astronomers using the Spitzer Space Telescope have for the first time discovered two extrasoloar planets by directly detecting light from the planets themselves. Usually planets are discovered by indirectly inferring their presence from the wobble of star they orbit, but Spitzer has been able to directly detect these objects at Infrared wavelengths. Nifty conceptual images and videos are available."

2 of 113 comments (clear)

  1. not discovered, but observed by heidi · · Score: 5, Informative

    the planets are not newly discovered. they were previously known, but not directly imaged before.

  2. Re:Ob-Infrared-Ditty by ajs · · Score: 5, Informative

    Please, if you're going to snag the text, cite it:

    Now the world has gone to bed,
    Darkness won't engulf my head.
    I can see by infra-red.
    How I hate the night.

    Now I lay me down to sleep,
    Try to count electric sheep.
    Sweet dream wishes you can keep,
    How I hate the night.

    Life, the Universe and Everything
    by Douglas Adams, 1952-2001