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Artist’s Concept of Exoplanet HR 8799b

This is an artistic illustration of the giant planet HR 8799b.

The planet was first discovered in 2007 at the Gemini North observatory. It was identified in the NICMOS archival data in a follow-up search of NICMOS archival data to see if Hubble had also serendipitously imaged it.

The planet is young and hot, at a temperature of 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. It is slightly larger than Jupiter and may be at least seven times more massive.

Analysis of the NICMOS data suggests the planet has water vapor in its atmosphere and is only partially cloud covered. It is not known if the planet has rings or moons, but circumplanetary debris is common among the outer planets of our solar system.

Object Name
Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
HR 8799b
Release Date
April 1, 2009
Science Release
Hubble Finds Hidden Exoplanet in Archival Data
Read the release
Credits
NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)

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Exoplanet HR 8799b Recovered in NICMOS Data Archive (Annotated)

This is a Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS (Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer) coronagraphic image of a planet orbiting the star HR 8799, located 130 light-years away. The coronagraph has been used to block the light from the bright star (black circle) allowing the...

Exoplanet HR 8799b Recovered in NICMOS Data Archive