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To: SunkenCiv

Note that the pale blue dot in the image is the star; the planet is the tiny tiny brown pixel at about the 10:30 -11:00 o’clock position off of the star.

The really “exciting” news is that the scientists have managed to develop a direct image of the planet vice inferring one. If I understand the magnitude of the accomplishment correctly (and it is one), this requires them to not only know its orbital period but also to know where it is in that orbit to have confidence that the image is, in fact, an image of the planet.

Also, keep in mind that in addition to its 27,000 year orbit around its home star, the planet is 1200 light years away. So the image provided is the image of the planet about the time of Charlemagne.

The planet itself is so far distant from its sun (at 660 AU) that liquid water doesn’t exist on its surface. The brown color of the image is likely an indication of a rock hard frozen surface.


19 posted on 04/25/2019 2:37:34 AM PDT by Captain Rhino (Determined effort today forges tomorrow.)
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To: Captain Rhino

The angular distance between the planet and its star is about 0.0005 degrees, or 1.8 arcseconds. Pluto is much smaller than that in a telescope. What is amazing is the ability to see the planet without it getting lost in the glare of the star. I suspect that this involved stacking lots of short exposures to get adequate dynamic range. Still amazingly sharp optics.


22 posted on 04/25/2019 3:04:05 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Schumer delenda est.)
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To: Captain Rhino

So, bring a sweater?


26 posted on 04/25/2019 4:19:24 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: Captain Rhino
"the planet is the tiny tiny brown pixel at about the 10:30 -11:00 o’clock position off of the star."

In 13,500 years it should serve as a strong signal that it's happy hour!

34 posted on 04/25/2019 5:53:58 AM PDT by outofsalt (If history teaches us anything, it's that history rarely teaches us anything.)
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