Astronomers discover faintest exoplanet Beta Pictoris d using VLT
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A team of astronomers has discovered a third planet, Beta Pictoris d, orbiting the star Beta Pictoris. The planet is 100 times fainter than Beta Pictoris b and among the lightest exoplanets ever imaged from the ground. The discovery was made using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT).
The Discovery
The new planet, Beta Pictoris d, was detected using the VLT's SPHERE instrument. It is among the lightest exoplanets ever imaged from the ground, with a mass estimated at a few times that of Jupiter. The team, led by astronomers from the University of Liège, found the planet after analyzing archival data spanning more than a decade.
Archival Data
After spotting the planet in new VLT observations, the team re-examined archival images from 2003 and 2013. The planet had been hiding in these earlier observations, but was too faint to be identified at the time. Beta Pictoris d is 100 times fainter than Beta Pictoris b, the first planet discovered in the same system.
System Context
Beta Pictoris is a young star system located about 63 light-years from Earth. It hosts at least three planets: Beta Pictoris b, c, and d. The system is known for its debris disk and is a key target for studying planet formation.
What's Next
The team plans to conduct follow-up observations to characterize Beta Pictoris d's atmosphere and orbit. It remains unclear how the planet formed and whether additional planets exist in the system.
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Astronomers discover faintest exoplanet Beta Pictoris d using VLT
