Hubble Space Telescope Directly Observes Exoplanet

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has discovered an extrasolar planet, for the first time using direct visible-light imaging. The strange world is far-flung from its parent star, is surrounded by a colossal belt of gas and dust, and may even have rings more impressive than Saturn's.

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Credit:
- ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen)
- Visual design & Editing: Martin Kornmesser
- Animations: Martin Kornmesser & Luis Calçada
- Web Hosting: Leibniz-Rechenzentrum (LRZ)
- Web Technical Support: Lars Holm Nielsen & Raquel Yumi Shida
- Written by: Lee Pullen & Lars Lindberg Christensen
- Host: Dr. J
- Narration: Bob Fosbury
- Cinematography: Peter Rixner
- Music: movetwo
- Footage and photos: A. Fujii, Digitized Sky Survey 2, NASA, ESA, and P. Kalas (University of California, Berkeley). Acknowledgment: Davide De Martin (ESA/Hubble)
- Directed by: Lars Lindberg Christensen

Dr. J is a German astronomer at the ESO. His scientific interests are in cosmology, particularly on galaxy evolution and quasars. Dr. J's real name is Joe Liske and he has a PhD in astronomy.

Hubble European Space Agency Information Centre
Garching/Munich, Germany
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[OmicronIII]

If for nothing else, it's worth watching just for her - but the humor is witty and well done. I highly suggest it, although I barely watch any TV as well.

[ignikanova]

thats awesome greenscreen and cgi effects

[sirnicholson]

the pixaly pic behind dude is the actual picture.the imaging team made it look like something that we mit recognize

[gurra]

The good thing with astronomy is that everybody can agree that it's real and that we're curious about what's out there, even though you're a believer or not...

[revjimbob]

As the man said - the others have been detected indirectly - by the wobble it gives its sun, or by loss of light when it passes in front of the sun. This one has been seen directly - in normal, visible light.

[MartinWillett]

The reality of the universe is so many orders of magnitude more vast and amazing than any prophet has ever hinted at that religion is an insult to the universe.

[astrogay]

@demmylowther, well Hubble and the next space telescopes are joint missions between NASA and ESA

[silentArtist]

i hope I'm still alive when the technology for getting closer to exoplanets is developed.

[CognosSquare]

Thanks. I just watched the vid again and he says it there out loud. Missed that somehow.

[MartinWillett]

When people stop debating with you it does not mean you've won. It means you've lost it.

[fauyd]

Thats what they are saying, its the first using direct visible light imaging.

[Gezoes]

The other dot in the SW part of the image, outside the belt, is another star?

[TheDarkSinner]

now this is what facinates me space and planets. thats why i want to be an astronomer

[shagster]

Holy cow - it wasnt that long ago Pluto was observed.

[kurtilein]

now weve seen one exceptionally huge and bright star that is quite close to our location but far enough away from the star to use a coronograph.

it will still be a lot of work until we get pictures from extraterrestrial stars that are good enough to put them in a frame and hang them over your desk, but its a start. better telescopes are needed.

[MartinWillett]

There are several distinct questions to be asked about God.

1] Do any gods exist?
2] Is there any evidence for the existence of gods?
3] If a god existed would there be any good reason why a god would merit worship?
4] If a god existed would there be any consequences?
5] Would a god existing be a good thing or a bad thing?
6] Is there any good reason to believe in the tribal god of a tribe you are not a member of?
7] Can stories about gods be explained without gods existing?

[CognosSquare]

From wikipedia:

"To date, 329 exoplanets have been found".

What I wonder is if Formalhaut b is the first that has been visually identified or why is it so special.

[MusicFillsMyLife]

what's with the red flashing screen near the end? =.=

[Ramshobraja]

If we don't find life in our solar system like on Saturn's moons, we will never find life elsewhere considering how far the nearest stars are.

[eitaas]

I think gravitational lensing works with much more massive objects, such as black holes.