Hubble image archive
Rogue Planetary Orbit for Fomalhaut b
This false-color composite image, taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, reveals the orbital motion of the planet Fomalhaut b. Based on these observations, astronomers calculated that the planet is in a 2,000-year-long, highly elliptical orbit. The planet will appear to cross a v...
- Date
- Jan 1, 2013
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-2013-01-3127-image
This false-color composite image, taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, reveals the orbital motion of the planet Fomalhaut b. Based on these observations, astronomers calculated that the planet is in a 2,000-year-long, highly elliptical orbit. The planet will appear to cross a vast belt of debris around the star roughly 20 years from now. If the planet's orbit lies in the same plane with the belt, icy and rocky debris in the belt could crash into the planet's atmosphere and produce various phenomena. The black circle at the center of the image blocks out the light from the bright star, allowing reflected light from the belt and planet to be photographed. The Hubble images were taken with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph in 2010 and 2012.
Credits
NASA, ESA, and P. Kalas (University of California, Berkeley and SETI Institute)Image Details
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | Fomalhaut; Fomalhaut b |
| Object Description | Exoplanet Orbiting Fomalhaut |
| R.A. Position | 22h 57m 39.04s |
| Dec. Position | -29° 37' 20.04" |
| Constellation | Piscis Austrinus |
| Distance | 25 light-years (8 parsecs) |
| Dimensions | This image is roughly 462 astronomical units (60 arcseconds) wide. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | This image was created from HST data from proposals , , , and ; PI: P. Kalas (University of California, Berkeley). The science team includes: P. Kalas (University of California, Berkeley and SETI Institute, Mountain View, Calif.), J. Graham (University of California, Berkeley and University of Toronto), M. Fitzgerald (UCLA), and M. Clampin (NASA/GSFC). |
| Instrument | HST>STIS/CCD |
| Exposure Dates | May 2012 |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | This image is a composite of many separate exposures made by the STIS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. This image was originally black and white and recorded only overall brightness. These brightness values were translated into a range of reddish hues. Such color "maps" can be useful in helping to distinguish subtly varying brightness in an image. Red: STIS/CCD |
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Image and source material are credited to the official mission archive linked below.
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