First direct observation of exoplanet Beta Pictoris c

Garching, Germany (SPX) Oct 05, 2020

Astronomers using the GRAVITY instrument at the VLT telescopes in Chile have now obtained the first direct confirmation of an exoplanet discovered by radial velocity. As the planet "Beta Pictoris c" is in a close orbit around its parent star, this is the first time that the faint glint of the exoplanet next to the glare of the star has been directly observed. With these observations, astronomers