24 April 2026
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51 Eri b

News

Astronomers discover nearby Jupiter-like exoplanet enshrouded in methane

13 August 2015 Astronomy Now

The Gemini Planet Imager instrument has discovered and photographed its first planet. Dubbed 51 Eridani b, the body is a methane-enshrouded gas giant that is the most Jupiter-like exoplanet ever directly imaged, in a planetary system just 20 million years old. It may hold the key to understanding how large planets form in the swirling accretion discs around stars.

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News Headlines

  • Moon dust preserves record of life’s building blocks
    14 April 2026
  • Dark matter may come in multiple forms, new model suggests
    11 April 2026
  • Witness to history: Artemis II, lunar exploration and hope
    2 April 2026
  • Artificial Intelligence uncovers more than 100 new worlds in NASA data
    25 March 2026
  • XRISM solves gamma-Cas’s 50-year X-ray mystery
    24 March 2026

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