Best images of an exoplanet 63 light years away

Beta Pictoris is a star located 63.4 light years from our solar system. Featuring a big debris disk orbiting around itself, the star is supposed to be 8 to 20 million years old.

On November 21, 2008, the Very Large Telescope revealed the presence of an exoplanet orbiting Beta Pictoris. On that day, this image was published by the European Southern Observatory.

First image of β Pic b
First image of β Pic b

 

The planet, roughly around 10-12 times the mass of Jupiter, was named “Beta pictoris b” (β Pic b). It orbits around its star at a distance of around 9 AU (1 350 000 000 Km).

 

The orbit of β Pic b compared with our Solar System.
The orbit of β Pic b compared with our Solar System.

 

A few days ago, the SETI institute released the video found at the beginning of this post. It depicts the same planet moving through 1 ½ years of its 22-year orbital period.

Here‘s the original article.

As of today, this is the best image of an exoplanet ever taken.