Yes yes yes yes yes - go Fomalhaut

[threemonkeys]

Please let this be real. The first direct visual evidence of planets outside our own solar system. Inference is all very well, but this is the real thing.

ETA: But wait, there's more. This indicates that HR8799 may have *two* visible planets. Although in this case there isn't any time comparison to indicate orbital movement.

Comments

[russellk.livejournal.com]

I'm waving like mad out of my window hoping the Fomalhaut people can see me, though I may be making one or two as yet unwarranted assumptions about this discovery. And the position of Fomalhaut in the sky, I suppose.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see, you are of the "if we can see them then they can see us" school of thought.

[russellk.livejournal.com]

They may even have been able to see me before today. I should have worn clothes at home more often.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

I really didnt need that thought in my head. Especially after yesterday's John & Bronagh (http://threemonkeys.livejournal.com/203691.html) thoughts.

[russellk.livejournal.com]

Oh. I won't send you the pictures then.

Like you, I will be interested to see if this is confirmed.

[grant-stone.livejournal.com]

Dude, stop waving!
We don't know if they want to eat us yet...

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Aw, c'mon - no way could anything digest Russell.

[grant-stone.livejournal.com]

Well if we all get chomped on, I know who I'll be holding responsible.

[flinthart.livejournal.com]

Three. And it's Fomalhaut.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

D'oh - I knew that but my typing brain keeps wanting to put the 'r" in there. Shows I'm not a proper Lovecraft fan.

I've been reading some of the threads about the HR8799 announcement. Initially Gemini announced 2 which I saw then Keck came along (http://www.keckobservatory.org/article.php?id=231) and announced the possible third one.

[flinthart.livejournal.com]

Heh. I was just being annoyingly superior. Actually, I'm as excited as you - maybe moreso. Okay, it's a downer that the planetary system is only sixty million years old - means no time for life to have developed. But the three planets seen are all multi-Jupiter sized, and there's a forking great gap between the innermost of those, and the star. The astro-boyz are going crazy, laying odds that there will be rocky-type planets of a more reasonable mass between that innermost megajupe and the star itself.

Best of all, they're brainstorming on how to see them!

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'm as excited as you - maybe moreso

I can easily believe people more excited than me - the guy at work who was pointing all this stuff out to me was just gibbering with delight.