First Planets to be Photographed
Fomalhaut b and HR 8799 b, c, d (November 13, 2008)
- Direct exoplanet observation has been compared to watching a gnat flying across the face of a searchlight on a foggy day from miles away (source: National Geographic).
- Fomalhaut b and HR 8799 b, c, d are the first exoplanets directly imaged in optical wavelengths (that is, in colloquial terms, photographed) using huge Earth-based telescopes at W.M. Keck and Gemini Observatories in Hawaii along with the Hubble Space Telescope.
- Truly an impressive feat, yes, but not quite as impressive as the next one.
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