Undetected for years in old records
A group of researchers has confirmed the presence of another body orbiting the star Beta Pictoris. The object, now labeled Beta Pictoris d, is the third known planet in that stellar system. Its identification came only after specialists re-examined observations collected across a span exceeding ten years.
The newly found world is far dimmer than Beta Pictoris b, which had been the first planet detected around the same star. With a brightness roughly one hundred times lower, Beta Pictoris d ranks among the least massive exoplanets ever captured in direct images from the ground.
Observation with the Very Large Telescope
The initial sighting was made using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope. Once the planet appeared in current measurements, the team noticed that it had already been present in older archived exposures without having been recognized at the time.
- Third planet identified in the Beta Pictoris system
- Hidden in archival data for more than ten years
- Much fainter than Beta Pictoris b
- Imaged directly from the ground
The findings highlight the value of systematically reviewing historical telescope records for planetary science. Bodies that went unnoticed when first recorded can later provide meaningful insights upon reanalysis.