Scientists using the European Southern Observatory’s Large Telescope have achieved a breakthrough by capturing images of a planet located in another star system Known as PDS 70b, this planet has a mass several times that of Jupiter and is highly gas dominated.
It orbits a star about 370 light-years away from our planet. In the image, the planet appears as a bright spot. Also, a dark ring is seen around it. The planet is blocking the light from the star.
This incredible achievement proves that scientists have come a long way in studying planets beyond the solar system. The information gleaned from the images has given us a better understanding of how our own exoplanet system forms and evolves.
Frank Eisenhower, chief scientist of the Gravity Project at the Max Planck Institutes for Astronomy and Extraterrestrial Physics, says that the knowledge gained so far is both remarkable and sensitive. From the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy to the outer planets of our solar system, there’s so much to explore. We have just begun our search.
Scientists used powerful telescopes to capture images of a gas-based planet called PDS 70b, which orbits a star 370 light-years from Earth. This incredible feat allowed us to study exoplanets and better understand the formation and evolution of planets beyond our own.