Vidulini
A team of astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) located in Chile has managed to make the first direct image extrasolar planet atmospheres.
Markus Janson and his team used the ESO system of four large telescopes, the VLT - also known as the giants Paranala in Chile. Special instrument sensitive to the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum (Naco) mounted on the VLT and the use of adaptive optics were crucial for this exceptional performance is an astronomer.
Namely, it is not the first extrasolar planet was detected in the atmosphere and its composition. It was done several times before, but then it was for the extraction of the spectral signature of the planet during its transit across its parent star disk. Janson and his team are to perform for the time when the planet is in its orbit away from the star. It is known that a very small number of extrasolar planets is in a suitable plane for the transition and the early detection method of the atmosphere and its composition was limited to a small number of planets, and in a very short period of time suitable for this type of research. Once a year the VLT installed more sophisticated system (SPHERE) astronomers will get a chance to discover new worlds and explore them in much the atmosphere lagodinjim terms of celestial mechanics.
Analysis of the atmosphere of planets of other stars, gives us information about their physical and chemical properties, formation processes and can thus learn even if there is a biological and geological activity on them. Finally, we can even prove the existence of technologically advanced civilizations on them if they exist!
This exceptional performance is done on the planet, HR 8799 C (about ten times bigger than our Jupiter is the surface temperature of 800 ° C). Its parent star HR 8799 is located 130 light years from Earth, with a diameter 50% larger than the Sun. Orbiting around it at least two large planets. It is well known, and existence of two "clouds" of small celestial objects for which we assume that pandami our asteroid belt.
Carolina Bergfors, Janson member of the team states that they needed five hours of exposure to get this result. "It's like that at a distance of two kilometers to set a strong spotlight pointed directly at you and you isolate the light small candles that are situated right next to him," explains Bergfors. The results obtained do not agree with theoretical models, but further research will correct theory or practice of astronomers in the study of extrasolar planets. What we do is a kind of "fingerprint", a combination of various research, theory and computer processing can be found in the seemingly terse details get very precise answers to questions that are unanswered for decades.
This discovery was published in a recognized journal "Astrophysical Journal" called "spatially resolved spectroscopy of the Exoplanet HR 8799 c". The team participated Canadians; M. Janson (University of Toronto) and D. Lafreniere (University of Montreal) and the Germans; C. Bergfors, M. Goto, W. Brandner (Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg).
Marino Tumpić
