Extreme Planets

Spitzer_ssc2006-10c_1024

spitzer_ssc2006-10c April 5th, 2006

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC)

This artist's concept depicts the pulsar planet system discovered by Aleksander Wolszczan in 1992. Wolszczan used the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico to find three planets - the first of any kind ever found outside our solar system - circling a pulsar called PSR B1257+12. Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars, which are the collapsed cores of exploded massive stars. They spin and pulse with radiation, much like a lighthouse beacon. Here, the pulsar's twisted magnetic fields are highlighted by the blue glow.

All three pulsar planets are shown in this picture; the farthest two from the pulsar (closest in this view) are about the size of Earth. Radiation from charged pulsar particles would probably rain down on the planets, causing their night skies to light up with auroras similar to our Northern Lights. One such aurora is illustrated on the planet at the bottom of the picture.

Since this landmark discovery, more than 160 extrasolar planets have been observed around stars that are burning nuclear fuel. The planets spotted by Wolszczan are still the only ones around a dead star. They also might be part of a second generation of planets, the first having been destroyed when their star blew up. The Spitzer Space Telescope's discovery of a dusty disk around a pulsar might represent the beginnings of a similarly "reborn" planetary system.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1612-ssc2006-10c-Extreme-Planets

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy

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Image Details

Image Type
Artwork
Object Name
PSR B1257+12
Subject - Milky Way
Planet > Special Cases > Pulsar planet
Star > Evolutionary Stage > Neutron Star > Pulsar
Star > Circumstellar Material > Planetary System
Spitzer_ssc2006-10c_1280
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ID
ssc2006-10c
Subject Category
B.1.3.3.   B.3.1.9.1.   B.3.7.1.  
Subject Name
PSR B1257+12
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC)
Release Date
2006-04-05
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1612-ssc2006-10c-Extreme-Planets
Type
Artwork
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Instrument
Color Assignment
Band
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
Equinox
Reference Value
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Spitzer Space Telescope
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
ssc2006-10c.tif
Metadata Date
2012-03-20
Metadata Version
1.1
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