Researchers were able to directly image newly forming exoplanet AB Aurigae b over a 13-year span using Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and its Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrograph (NICMOS).
In the top right, Hubble's NICMOS image captured in 2007 shows AB Aurigae b in a due south position compared to its host star, which is covered by the instrument's coronagraph. The image captured in 2021 by STIS shows the protoplanet has moved in a counterclockwise motion over time.
Credits
Science
NASA, ESA, Thayne Currie (Subaru Telescope, Eureka Scientific Inc.)
Image Processing
Thayne Currie (Subaru Telescope, Eureka Scientific Inc.), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | AB Aurigae b |
| Object Description | Jupiter-like protoplanet |
| R.A. Position | 04 55 45.8 |
| Dec. Position | +30 03 04.3 |
| Constellation | Auriga |
| Distance | About 520 light-years |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | HST observations include those from programs (M. Perrin) and (T. Currie) |
| Instrument | HST>STIS, HST>NICMOS |
| Exposure Dates | 14 Sept. 2007, 04 Jan 2021, 08 Feb 2021, 03 Mar. 2021 |
| Filters | These images are exposures acquired by the NICMOS and STIS instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope. The color results from assigning a color map to a monochromatic (grayscale) image. |
| About The Image | |
| Compass Image |  |
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object. |
| Object Description | The type of astronomical object. |
| R.A. Position | Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Dec. Position | Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Constellation | One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears. |
| Distance | The 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. |
| Dimensions | The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description |
|
| Instrument | The science instrument used to produce the data. |
| Exposure Dates | The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time. |
| Filters | The camera filters that were used in the science observations. |
| About The Image | |
| Image Credit | The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the release content became public. |
| Color Info | A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented. |
| Orientation | The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere. |
