A giant planet imaged in the disk of the young star Beta Pictoris

Abstract

Here we show that the ~10 Myr Beta Pictoris system hosts a massive giant planet, Beta Pictoris b, located 8 to 15 AU from the star. This result confirms that gas giant planets form rapidly within disks and validates the use of disk structures as fingerprints of embedded planets. Among the few planets already imaged, Beta Pictoris b is the closest to its parent star. Its short period could allow recording the full orbit within 17 years.

4 pages, 2 figures. Published online 10 June 2010; 10.1126/science.1187187. To appear in Science