'Young Jupiter' exoplanet discovery: Q&A with astronomer Eric Nielsen
Monday, August 17, 2015 - 09:30
in Astronomy & Space
(Phys.org)—The discovery of 51 Eridani b, a Jupiter-like exoplanet, made headlines last week as it is the lowest-mass planet ever directly imaged around another star. Significantly, the planet resembles Jupiter in its infancy and shows the strongest methane signature ever detected on an alien planet. In an interview with Phys.org, astronomer Eric Nielsen of the SETI Institute, a member of the team that found 51 Eridani b, talks about the importance of the discovery and characterizes the newest addition to the list of known exoplanets.