Exoplanet Atmospheres Detected From Earth
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 22:28
in Astronomy & Space
Two independent groups have simultaneously made the first-ever ground-based detection of extrasolar planets thermal emissions. Until now, virtually everything known about atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars in the Milky Way has come from space-based observations. These two independent results are very interesting for astronomers and planetary scientists because they allow a direct probe of the temperature of these planetary atmospheres, and because they show that such measurements can be made from ground-based observatories, and not only when using space telescopes.