Lightest exoplanet to be directly observed so far? Faint object moves near bright star
Monday, June 3, 2013 - 10:31
in Astronomy & Space
A team of astronomers using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope has imaged a faint object moving near a bright star. With an estimated mass of four to five times that of Jupiter, it would be the least massive planet to be directly observed outside the Solar System. The discovery is an important contribution to our understanding of the formation and evolution of planetary systems.