Help Shape the Future of Space Exploration

Join The Planetary Society Now 

Join our eNewsletter for updates & action alerts

   Please leave this field empty
Multimedia
Facebook Twitter Email RSS AddThis

COROT's first planet

Filed under explaining science, extrasolar planets, astronomy and astrophysics spacecraft

Go Back

COROT's first planet ESA's planet-hunting satellite COROT bagged its first exoplanet in observations of the star COROT-Exo-1. This telltale drop in the brightness of the star indicates that a planet transited the star, momentarily darkening its disk.

COROT exo-team

ESA's planet-hunting satellite COROT bagged its first exoplanet in observations of the star COROT-Exo-1, located 1,500 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros. This telltale drop in the brightness of the star indicates that a planet -- in this case, a "hot Jupiter" gas giant about 1.3 times the mass of Jupiter -- transited the star, momentarily darkening its disk. From the speed of its transit, COROT's scientists determined that the planet orbits close to the star with an orbital period of only 1.5 days.

Original image data dated on or about May 1, 2007

Comments:

Leave a Comment:

You must be logged in to submit a comment. Log in now.

Fly to an Asteroid!

Send your name and message on Hayabusa-2.

Send your name

Join the New Millennium Committee

Let’s invent the future together!

Become a Member

Connect With Us

Facebook! Twitter! Google+ and more…
Continue the conversation with our online community!

facebook.png twitter.png rss.png youtube.png flickr.png googleplus.png