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Artist’s Concept of Exoplanet with Comet-like Tail

Artist's Concept of Exoplanet with Comet-like Tail
This artist's illustration shows a view of the gas giant planet HD 209458b, as seen from the surface of a hypothetical nearby companion object. The planet is orbiting so close to its sunlike star that its heated atmosphere is escaping into space. Spectroscopic observations by the new Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope suggest that powerful stellar winds are sweeping the castoff material behind the scorched planet and shaping it into a comet-like tail.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    22h 03m 10s.78
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    +18° 53' 03".7
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Pegasus
  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    About 153 light-years (47 parsecs)

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
    The data used for the science results include the HST proposal 11534: J. Green, C. Froning, J. Linsky, J. Stocke, and K. France (University of Colorado, Boulder).
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    HST>COS
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    September and October 2009, Exposure Time: 14.2 hours
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    G130M (UV) and G160M (UV)
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    HD 209458, HD 209458b
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Star with Planet
  • Release Date
    July 15, 2010
  • Science Release
    Superhot Planet Likely Possesses Comet-like Tail
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Artwork: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI); Science: J. Linsky (University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.)

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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