The headline of a March 25 AP article on the Los Angeles Times website:
Light Spotted From Beyond Solar System
Fortunately, the article is a lot more interesting and news-worthy than the headline. (After all, anyone with eyesight can spot light from beyond the Solar System on any given clear night.) The story is about the first-ever direct detection of light from planets circling other stars. (Sky & Telescope has a more detailed article.) The first such planets were discovered approximately a decade ago, but all were spotted via indirect techniques—mostly by their gravitational effects upon the star they orbit. We still don't have any pictures of extra-solar planets, but now we're one step closer.
Comments