ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

This does look like the first confirmed image of extrasolar planets. There have been other near-misses before -- things that turned out to be background stars -- but these are legit.

The star Fomalhaut is easily visible to the unaided eye; it's the 18th brightest one up there, much brighter than, say, Polaris, which is #50. Anyone south of about 50deg north should have no trouble seeing it in November and December, if you look low in the south-southwest after sunset. The observations of Fomalhaut b also show it moving in its orbit -- one of the things which allow us to confirm that it is in fact a planet.

The planets around HR8799 were imaged by some fancy techno-footwork using the Gemini North telescope and the Keck telescopes in Hawaii. (The Gemini is a seperate instrument from the Keck telescopes, but they're neighbors atop Mauna Kea.) To see this star, which is in Pegasus, you'll need binoculars at least.

As an impromptu activity with a high school group I'm expecting today, I'm going to have them come up with possible names for Fomalhaut b.

While I have your attention, are any list members' institutions planning activities for the International Year of Astronomy? 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first celestial explorations via telescope.
http://www.iya2009.org/

Marc Taylor
Coordinator, Andrus Planetarium
Hudson River Museum
511 Warburton Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10701
914 963 4550 x223
Fax 963 8558
[log in to unmask]

***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.

To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]