Hubble image archive
Artist's Concept of Exoplanet with Comet-like Tail
This artist's illustration shows a view of the gas giant planet HD 209458b, as seen from the surface of a hypothetical nearby companion object. The planet is orbiting so close to its sunlike star that its heated atmosphere is escaping into space. Spectroscopic observations by the...
- Date
- Jan 1, 2010
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-2010-21-2749-image
This artist's illustration shows a view of the gas giant planet HD 209458b, as seen from the surface of a hypothetical nearby companion object. The planet is orbiting so close to its sunlike star that its heated atmosphere is escaping into space. Spectroscopic observations by the new Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope suggest that powerful stellar winds are sweeping the castoff material behind the scorched planet and shaping it into a comet-like tail.
Credits
Artwork: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI);Science: J. Linsky (University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.)
Image Details
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | HD 209458, HD 209458b |
| Object Description | Star with Planet |
| R.A. Position | 22h 03m 10s.78 |
| Dec. Position | +18° 53' 03".7 |
| Constellation | Pegasus |
| Distance | About 153 light-years (47 parsecs) |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | The data used for the science results include the HST proposal : J. Green, C. Froning, J. Linsky, J. Stocke, and K. France (University of Colorado, Boulder). |
| Instrument | HST>COS |
| Exposure Dates | September and October 2009, Exposure Time: 14.2 hours |
| Filters | G130M (UV) and G160M (UV) |
Downloads
Source
Image and source material are credited to the official mission archive linked below.
View on NASA.gov