Planet from another galaxy discovered: Galactic cannibalism brings an exoplanet of extragalactic origin within astronomers' reach
Thursday, November 18, 2010 - 15:20
in Astronomy & Space
An exoplanet orbiting a star that entered our Milky Way from another galaxy has been detected by a European team of astronomers using the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. The Jupiter-like planet is particularly unusual, as it is orbiting a star nearing the end of its life and could be about to be engulfed by it, giving tantalizing clues about the fate of our own planetary system in the distant future.