Daily Spin of An Exoplanet Measured for 1st Time In History

Hey Space Placers!

Astronomers are getting better and better at determining the characteristics of exoplanets - planets that exist outside our solar system.

For the first time in history the daily spin of an exoplanet has been determined and it is a doozy - 100,000 km/hr at the equator compared to Earth's rotation rate of 1,700 km/hr. That makes the length of day for Beta Pictoris-b 8 hours compared to our 24.

ESO


Beta Pictoris-b is 16 times larger and 3,000 times more massive than Earth and is located 63 light years away.  It was one of the first exoplanets directly imaged and was discovered about 6 years ago.

It is quite likely that more exoplanet spin rates will be determined as time goes on. Pretty amazing…..

Sky Guy in VA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Humanity Is Becoming Part of the Geological Record

Hey Space Placers! According to geologists we are living in the Holocene epoch. But due to humanity's interaction with Earth's biophysical system there is the informal declaration that we are in the "Anthropocene" Era representing the latter half of the 18th Century to present day. Human activity is starting to be seen in the geologic record, from lead, methane and PLASTIC, yes plastic - deposits in the rock layers. Take a moment to read this enlightening article . You'll be glad you did. Sky Guy in VA
Read more

NORTHERN LIGHTS MAY BE VISIBLE TONIGHT

Image
 Hey Space Placers AND AURORA CHASERS! OCTOBER 10, 2024 AURORA OVER CENTRAL VIRGINIA TAKEN WITH SMARTPHONE Greg Redfern The Sun has unleashed a solar event that impacted Earth yesterday  https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/cme-passage-continues-today-16-apr-2025  and has intensified even more today. Earth is experiencing a Level G3 Geomagnetic Storm https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/cme-passage-continues-today-16-apr-2025     today that will produce the Northern Lights (Aurora) tonight after it gets dark. It is recommended that Aurora chasers check the latest Aurora forecast at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center Aurora Forecast Webpage  https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/aurora-dashboard-experimental and get outside after dark equipped with their Smartphones and/or cameras. You will need a clear view of the northern horizon that is hopefully free of bright lights. Try looking with your eyes to see if Aur...
Read more

HERE COMES COMET A3 IN THE WESTERN SKY

Image
 Hey, Space Placers! Check out Comet A3!  The bright Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will first become visible in the evening sky on October 11th, appearing between Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius, and Arcturus, the brightest star in Boötes. While opening night will have it competing against twilight, it will be both higher in the sky and more visible against darker skies on subsequent evenings. Download a higher-resolution version here. Sky & Telescope illustration All your details here. Good luck! Sky Guy Looking in VA
Read more