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Originally published in Science Express on 13 November 2008
Science 28 November 2008:
Vol. 322. no. 5906, pp. 1348 - 1352
DOI: 10.1126/science.1166585
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Research Articles

Direct Imaging of Multiple Planets Orbiting the Star HR 8799

Christian Marois,1,2,3* Bruce Macintosh,2 Travis Barman,4 B. Zuckerman,5 Inseok Song,6 Jennifer Patience,7 David Lafrenière,8 René Doyon9

Direct imaging of exoplanetary systems is a powerful technique that can reveal Jupiter-like planets in wide orbits, can enable detailed characterization of planetary atmospheres, and is a key step toward imaging Earth-like planets. Imaging detections are challenging because of the combined effect of small angular separation and large luminosity contrast between a planet and its host star. High-contrast observations with the Keck and Gemini telescopes have revealed three planets orbiting the star HR 8799, with projected separations of 24, 38, and 68 astronomical units. Multi-epoch data show counter clockwise orbital motion for all three imaged planets. The low luminosity of the companions and the estimated age of the system imply planetary masses between 5 and 13 times that of Jupiter. This system resembles a scaled-up version of the outer portion of our solar system.

1 National Research Council Canada, Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7, Canada.
2 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550, USA.
3 Astronomy Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
4 Lowell Observatory, 1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA.
5 Physics and Astronomy Department and Center for Astrobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
6 University of Georgia, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 240 Physics, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
7 University of Exeter, School of Physics, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL, UK.
8 Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada.
9 Département de Physique and Observatoire du Mont Mégantic, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed; E-mail: christian.marois{at}nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)