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Jupiter-like Exoplanet Discovered
According to the BBC, the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) in Chile has discovered an alien gas giant [bbc.com], 51 Eridani [wikipedia.org] b, about 97 light years away. An article in Science reports that the GPI is “an instrument designed for direct imaging [sciencemag.org].”
From the BBC:
"Previous search methods couldn't find systems like our own, with small, rocky worlds close to their star and large, gas giants at large distances like Jupiter and Saturn," said… James Larkin, from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The new gas giant is roughly twice the mass of Jupiter. Until now, the gas giant planets that have been directly detected have been much larger - five to 13 times Jupiter's mass.
It orbits a little further from its parent star than Saturn does from the Sun and has a temperature of 430C (800F), hot enough to melt lead, but still rather cold compared with other alien gas giants, which reach temperatures above 540C (1,000F).
The W. M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii reports that they have “confirmed the discovery [keckobservatory.org].” More from the article:
“51 Eri b is the first one that's cold enough and close enough to the star that it could have indeed formed right where it is the old-fashioned way,” [Bruce] Macintosh said. “This planet really could have formed the same way Jupiter did – the whole solar system could be a lot like ours.”
