Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

First Image of a Planet Orbiting a Sun-Like Star

Posted by kdawson on from the cold-jupiter dept.

Several readers including houbou and DigitumDei sent links to what may be the first-ever image of a planet orbiting a sun-like star (research paper). The giant planet, the mass of 8 Jupiters, orbits its star at 330 AU, or 11 times the distance to Neptune's orbit. If the imaged object does turn out to be a planet — and it's not certain it is — then theories of planet formation may have to be adjusted. "The bulk of the material from which planets might form is significantly closer to the parent star... The outermost parts of such disks wouldn't contain enough material to assemble a Jupiter-mass planet at the distance from the star... at which the Toronto team found the faint object."

20 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. ARGH! by Tumbleweed · · Score: 5, Funny

    Damn you, Google Star View! There IS such a thing as privacy, you know!

    1. Re:ARGH! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Google has no problem with protecting a star's privacy as long as they file out a request. Google has already sent out a message discussing their privacy policy. Considering that this star is 472 light years away, Google might have to update their system in about 944 years.

    2. Re:ARGH! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      "What do you mean you've never been to Alfa Centauri? Oh, for heavens sake mankind, it's only four light years away. I'm sorry but if you can't bother to take an interest in local affairs then ..." HHGG

    3. Re:ARGH! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Just in case the article will be slashdotted, here's the image:
      Planet ----> . O <---- Star

    4. Re:ARGH! by aliquis · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, but what is more worrying if a planet can't be made at this distance it must either be the Vogons or the Borgs, and in either case we're fucked.

  2. Where's the orbit? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...and yet where's the second pic to prove that it orbits?

  3. Don't worry, we won't have to revise any theories by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    The Toronto people are just confused as to why the planet isn't orbiting around them.

  4. Low-bandwidth version in case of slashdotting by PeeAitchPee · · Score: 5, Funny

    O .

  5. we'd better hope... by commodoresloat · · Score: 3, Funny

    If the imaged object does turn out to be a planet â" and it's not certain it is â" then theories of planet formation may have to be adjusted.

    Whereas if this thing that is bigger than 8 Jupiters turns out to be something other than a planet, we may have some other theories to adjust. But I, for one, welcome our giant space traveling overlords!

  6. Obligatory by stonecypher · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... that's no moon ...

    --
    StoneCypher is Full of BS
    1. Re:Obligatory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I find your lack of original conversation disturbing...
      http://xkcd.com/307/

  7. Re:Old news... by Timothy+Brownawell · · Score: 3, Funny

    But everyone knows that the Sun and the planets orbit the earth.

  8. All Wrong! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ridiculous! That picture is completely distorted! What paper are you looking at?

    It was a lot more like this:

    `O

    1. Re:All Wrong! by windsurfer619 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Or maybe like this?
      .
        O

  9. This star must have a high rate of rotation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    As you can see from the nearly egg-like shape as the centrifugal forces compress the equator.

    And if you observe that the planet orbits below the elliptical, you will have to agree that the planet was a rogue that was captured long after the star's formation.

    1. Re:This star must have a high rate of rotation by Ironchew · · Score: 5, Funny

      The star was spinning so fast that we all heard a "whoooooosh" through the vast expanse of space.

    2. Re:This star must have a high rate of rotation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      The star was spinning so fast that we all heard a "whoooooosh" through the vast expanse of space.

      You are joking, aren't you? Sound doesn't travel through the vacuum of space.

    3. Re:This star must have a high rate of rotation by Sebilrazen · · Score: 2, Funny

      You are joking, aren't you? Sound doesn't travel through the vacuum of space.

      Oh, that's what they meant. I thought they just meant screams didn't travel in the vacuum of space.

      I'm pretty sure I just heard another "whooooooosh" coming from that sector.

      --
      "There are no facts, only interpretations." --Friedrich Nietzsche.
  10. Not a planet at all. by lowy · · Score: 3, Funny

    If you look closely you can clearly see that it's just the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) in "outer orbit" doing a routing scientific study. Nothing to see here, move along.

  11. Re:Easy answer by Daetrin · · Score: 2, Funny

    They built the Dyson sphere around the planet but _not_ around the star to capture all its energy? Someone needs to grab the picture of this and caption it "Ur doin it rong!"

    --
    This Space Intentionally Left Blank