HD 80606b is a transiting planet

[ajtribick]

HD 80606b is an exoplanet in a highly eccentric orbit, therefore was thought likely to be a planet with very interesting weather patterns.

Now there are infrared observations, and furthermore the eclipse of the planet behind its star was detected, which means the orbital inclination and hence the true mass of the planet can be determined.

UCSC: Astronomers get a sizzling weather report from a distant planet

[ajtribick]

This is huge.

PRIMARY TRANSIT.

[chris]

This is huge.

PRIMARY TRANSIT.

I just read the paper by Motou et al after seeing the announcement on oklo.org (where HD 80606b is a local favorite.) Very exciting stuff... And what an (iron) brick: 4 Jupiters packed into a planet with 0.86 (+/- 0.10) times Jupiter's mass, a mean density around 8g/cm^3.

--Chris

[ajtribick]

And what an (iron) brick: 4 Jupiters packed into a planet with 0.86 (+/- 0.10) times Jupiter's mass, a mean density around 8g/cm^3.

That depends on whose radius estimate you believe... the Fossey et al. paper gives a radius which is pretty much equal to Jupiter's.

Give it another 111 days...

[granthutchison]

This is huge.

PRIMARY TRANSIT.

I've just committed an update to extrasolar.ssc, so now you can watch the transit of Feb 13-14 in Celestia.

The new file is here: http://celestia.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/celestia/trunk/celestia/data/extrasolar.ssc?view=log

Grant