Astronomers detect water in the atmosphere of a planet 179 light-years away | Hacker News Reader

Astronomers detect water in the atmosphere of a planet 179 light-years away

universetoday.com

132 pointsarto17 comments

It's amazing when you consider that this is a direct image (the first image in the article) of planets almost 200 light years away, taken from telescopes on the surface of the Earth -- something that would have made me jump up and down with excitement twenty years ago. It is now almost routine.

Also note that these planets are gas giants about 20AU away from the parent star. It's entirely possible that there are rocky planets closer to the star that might be getting occluded along with the star's light. Those may have water too.

What's almost equally amazing is the article actually includes the image it is discussing, rather than just some "artist's impression."

I hadn't realized it was now at the level of routine. The article indicates "So far, astronomers have directly-imaged more than a dozen exoplanets."

20 AU...so like Neptune distance.

This is the kind of image that makes me want to fund super space telescope(s). Getting two space telescopes to work in conjunction like the Keks would be awesome for the resolving power.

Precisely. Just imagine what we could accomplish with two JamesWebb-sized telescopes on opposite sides of Earth orbit!

There was also this concept of a telescope beyond the Pluto orbit using the sun as gravitational lens..

It seems to be 129 light years away, not 179.

astrobiology.nasa.gov, the Open Exoplanet Catalogue, space.com, britannica.com all say it's (about) 129 light years away. Wikipedia says 129±4.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HR_8799

http://www.openexoplanetcatalogue.com/planet/HR%208799%20e/

https://www.britannica.com/place/HR-8799

https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/a-four-planet-system-in-o...

distance from earth = 179 * 5.9 trillion miles

Detecting water is a new thing?

People have been using Drowsing for ages.

Galatic Drowsing.

Dowsing is the word you're looking for, not crossing.

It is a gas giant with water, not a terrestrial planet. Sorry to burst your bubble.

From what I understand the important news is that it was possible to detect the presence of water in the first place, using a new technology (or rather, combination of technologies).

Isn't it still a large amount of water that could be extracted, if life is not possible within it? Or are there better ways to obtain water in space?

Water is actually abundant in space.

https://www.nasa.gov/jpl/the-solar-system-and-beyond-is-awas...

Have we established that only terrestrial planets can host life?

My thinking too! Sample size of 1 really can’t be generalized!!

Nope, that has not been established.

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