First Planets to be Photographed

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.