Probing an 'Invisible' Exoplanet's Atmosphere

astroengine writes "To study the atmospheres of planets beyond the solar system, astronomers have had two choices: pick one that flies across the face of its parent star relative to Earth's perspective (an event known as a transit), or wait for a new generation of more sensitive space telescopes that can directly capture the planet's faint light. Now, there's a third option. Using a cryogenically-cooled infrared detector on a telescope in Chile, astronomers ferreted out beams of light coming directly from Tau Boötis b, a massive planet about 50 light-years from Earth."

Comments

"Third option"?

[K. S. Kyosuke]

Why does the "third option" sound so suspiciously similar to the second one? If VLT is not one of the "new generation of more sensitive space telescopes", then I'll eat my shoes.