Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




EXO WORLDS
On-again/off-again 'planet' elusive
by Staff Writers
Princeton, N.J. (UPI) Jan 30, 2012


disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

A possible planet outside our solar system captured by the Hubble space telescope has failed to show up in subsequent searches, U.S. astronomers say.

An image taken by Hubble in 2008 of a pinpoint of light orbiting a star called Fomalhaut about 25 light-years from Earth was hailed as the first actual picture of an exoplanet.

Now scientists using the Spitzer Space Telescope say they suspect the dot of light in the Hubble image isn't a planet at all because it doesn't radiate at the infrared wavelengths expected of an exoplanet, ScienceNews.org reported.

The Spitzer data was reported by a team led by Markus Janson of Princeton University.

The object dubbed Fomalhaut b still puzzles astronomers, since it's proved invisible to ground-based infrared telescopes and is following an unexpected path around its star.

Explanations for the pinpoint of light range from a background star to light scattered by a dust cloud that surrounds the star Fomalhaut.

That dust cloud bears an elliptical shape that could be the handiwork of a giant planetary shepherd, a planet that just hasn't been detected yet, researchers said.

"The 'real' Fomalhaut b still hides in the system," they said in their published study.

.


Related Links
Lands Beyond Beyond - extra solar planets - news and science
Life Beyond Earth






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








EXO WORLDS
NASA's Kepler Announces 11 Planetary Systems Hosting 26 Planets
Moffett Field CA (SPX) Jan 30, 2012
NASA's Kepler mission has discovered 11 new planetary systems hosting 26 confirmed planets. These discoveries nearly double the number of verified Kepler planets and triple the number of stars known to have more than one planet that transits, or passes in front of, its host star. Such systems will help astronomers better understand how planets form. The planets orbit close to their host st ... read more


EXO WORLDS
A Moon Colony by 2020

U.S. Presidential Hopeful Promises Moon Base by 2020

Moon looms bright over Republican debate

Rocket Man: Gingrich peddles space dreams in Florida

EXO WORLDS
Mars Rover Science Investigations Continue as Solar Energy Levels Drop

Russia blames 'cosmic rays' for Mars probe failure

Mars Orbiter Shows Wind's Handiwork

Durable NASA Rover Beginning Ninth Year of Mars Work

EXO WORLDS
Romney sees launchers fueled by private enterprise

First US chief technology officer stepping down

NASA Moves Closer to Planetary Landing Demo Capability on Earth with Draper's GENIE

Toronto teens send Lego man into space: video

EXO WORLDS
China's satellite navigation sector annual output predicted to reach 35 bln USD in 2015

China plans to launch 21 rockets, 30 satellites this year

Shenzhou 9 Behind the Curtain

China Plans to Launch 30 Satellites in 2012

EXO WORLDS
Russia to postpone next manned space launches

Russian cargo vessel arrives at space station

Russia Orbits Chibis Microsatellite

Russian Space Freighter to be Buried in Pacific

EXO WORLDS
Launch of Proton-M with Dutch Satellite Postponed

First Vega rocket assembled on launch pad

Ukraine, Russia to Launch 2 Dnepr Carrier Rockets in 2012

Russia Plans to Launch U.S. Satellite in February

EXO WORLDS
On-again/off-again 'planet' elusive

NASA's Kepler Announces 11 Planetary Systems Hosting 26 Planets

NASA's Kepler confirms 26 new planets

Earth's Cloudy Past Could Reveal Exoplanet Details

EXO WORLDS
Three SOPS LEO team snares first operating turn

ISS Orbit Raised to Avoid Collision with Space Junk

Publicity and Panic for Satellite Re-Entries

Congolese inventor puts African tablet on sale




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement