Friday, August 9, 2013

New Exoplanet Spotted with Earth-based Telescope

Astronomers have discovered a new exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star 57 light years away. The pink planet is around four times more massive than Jupiter and orbits the star GJ 504 as part of the young 160-million-year-old star system The planet, named GJ 504b, is the lowest mass exoplanet ever to be detected using direct, or visible, imaging techniques. Most exoplanets (planets outside our solar system )- are discovered using indirect methods in which the exoplanet’s existence is inferred, but not actually seen It was discovered by direct imaging using 8.2-meter Subaru Telescope of Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii

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