NAI scientists led one of two teams that have announced the first measurements of light from planets around other stars. The Spitzer Space Telescope detected infrared emissions from these two planets, both of which are "hot Jupiters' -- giant planets orbiting very close to their parent star. This brings a third technique to the study of these planets, which had previously been detected by their gravitational pull on the star and by the dimming of the star as the planet crosses in front of it. As noted by Drake Demming of the Goddard NAI Team, "Spitzer has provided us with a powerful new tool for learning about the temperatures, atmospheres, and orbits of planets hundreds of light-years from Earth." Alan Boss of the NAI Caregie team called this "a major milestone along the way to the ultimate goal of finding Earth-like planets and examining their atmospheres for signs of life."

Related Web Pages

First Light from Extrasolar Planets
NASA Press Release