https://www.centauri-dreams.org/2025/12/11/a-tatooine-planet-directly-imaged/ Centauri Dreams * Home * About * Administrative * Booklist * Klaes on Film * Contact Select Page [ ] A 'Tatooine' Planet Directly Imaged by Paul Gilster | Dec 11, 2025 | Exoplanetary Science | 0 comments I jump at the chance to see actual images - as opposed to light curves - of exoplanets. Thus recent news of a Tatooine-style planetary orbit around twin stars, and what is as far as I know the first actually imaged planet in this orbital configuration. I'm reminded not for the first time of the virtues of the Gemini Planet Imager, so deft at masking starlight to catch a few photons from a young planet. Youth is always a virtue when it comes to this kind of thing, because young planets are still hot and hence more visible in the infrared. The Gemini instrument is a multitasker, using adaptive optics as well as a coronagraph to work this magic. The new image comes out of an interesting exercise, which is to revisit older GPI data (2016-2019) at a time when the instrument is being upgraded and in the process of being moved to Hawaii from Chile, for installation on the Gemini North telescope on Mauna Kea. This reconsideration picked out something that had been missed. Cross-referencing data from the Keck Observatory, what was clearly a planet now emerged. [telescope1940__FitMaxWzk3MCw2NTBd] Image: By revisiting archival data, astronomers have discovered an exoplanet bound to binary stars, hugging them six times closer than other directly imaged planets orbiting binary systems. Above, the Gemini South telescope in Chile, where the data were collected with the help of the Gemini Planet Imager. Photo credit International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/T. Matsopoulos. European astronomers at the University of Exeter independently report their own discovery of this planet in a paper in Astronomy & Astrophysics using GPI data in conjunction with ESO's SPHERE instrument. So this appears to be a dual discovery and the planet is now obviously confirmed. More about the Exeter work in a moment. Jason Wang is senior author of the Northwestern University study, which appears in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. There are obvious reasons why he and his collaborators are excited about this particular catch: "Of the 6,000 exoplanets that we know of, only a very small fraction of them orbit binaries. Of those, we only have a direct image of a handful of them, meaning we can have an image of the binary and the planet itself. Imaging both the planet and the binary is interesting because it's the only type of planetary system where we can trace both the orbit of the binary star and the planet in the sky at the same time. We're excited to keep watching it in the future as they move, so we can see how the three bodies move across the sky." So what do we know about HD143811 AB b? No other directly imaged planet in a binary system presents us with such a tight orbit around its stars. This world is fully six times closer to its primaries than any other planets in a similar orbit, which says a good deal about GPI's capabilities. The planet itself is mammoth, six times the size of Jupiter, and evidently relatively cool compared to other directly imaged planets. Formation is thought to have taken place about 13 million years ago, so we're dealing with a very youthful star but not an infant. The stars are part of the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association of young stars. The HD 143811 system itself is some 446 light years away. And what a tight binary this appears to be, the twin stars taking a mere 18 Earth days to complete one orbit around their common barycenter. Their giant offspring (assuming this world formed from their circumstellar disk), orbits the twin stars in 300 years. I suspect that the orbital period is going to get revised. As Wang says: "You have this really tight binary, where stars are dancing around each other really fast. Then there is this really slow planet, orbiting around them from far away. Exactly how it works is still uncertain. Because we have only detected a few dozen planets like this, we don't have enough data yet to put the picture together." The European work, likewise consulting older GPI data, shows an orbital period with wide error margins, a "mostly face-on and low-eccentricity orbit" with a very loosely constrained period of roughly 320 years." The COBREX (COupling data and techniques for BReakthroughs in EXoplanetary systems exploration) project specializes in re-examining data like that of the GPI, working with high-contrast imaging, spectroscopy, and radial velocity measurements. In this case, the work included a new observation from the SPHERE (Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch) instrument installed at ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile. [double_star] Image: HD 143811 AB b, now confirmed by two independent teams of astronomers, using direct imaging data from both the Gemini Planet Imager and the Keck Observatory. The Exeter team confirmed the discovery using ESO's SPHERE instrument. Credit: Squicciarini et. al. I mentioned the issue of the new planet's formation. That's one of the reasons this discovery is going to make waves. The overview from Exeter: This discovery adds an important data point for comparative exoplanetology, bridging the temperature range between AF Lep b (De Rosa et al. 2023; Mesa et al. 2023; Franson et al. 2023) and cooler planets with a slightly lower mass, such as 51 Eri b (Macintosh et al. 2015). Together, these directly imaged planets of varying ages and masses offer a unique testbed for models of giant planet cooling and evolution. Moreover, HD 143811 b joins the small sample of circumbinary planets detected in imaging. Monitoring the binary with radial velocities and interferometry, along with astrometric orbit follow-up, will constrain the dynamical history of the system. While a characterization of the atmosphere is currently limited by the spectral coverage, broader wavelength and high-resolution observations especially in the mid-infrared will be essential for probing temperature structure and composition. This characterization will clarify the differences between circumbinary and single-star planets and their relation to free-floating objects. The discovery was announced in two papers. The Northwestern offering is Jones et al. "HD 143811 AB b: A directly imaged planet orbiting a spectroscopic binary in Sco-Cen," (11 December 2025). Now available as a preprint, with publication in process at The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The University of Exeter discovery paper is Squicciarini et al., "GPI+SPHERE detection of a 6.1 MJup circumbinary planet around HD 143811," Astronomy & Astrophysics Vol. 702 (2025), L10 (full text). [tzf_img_post] Submit a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Comment * [ ] Name * [ ] Email * [ ] Website [ ] [ ] Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. [Submit Comment] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] D[ ] Search [ ]Search Charter In Centauri Dreams, Paul Gilster looks at peer-reviewed research on deep space exploration, with an eye toward interstellar possibilities. For many years this site coordinated its efforts with the Tau Zero Foundation. It now serves as an independent forum for deep space news and ideas. In the logo above, the leftmost star is Alpha Centauri, a triple system closer than any other star, and a primary target for early interstellar probes. To its right is Beta Centauri (not a part of the Alpha Centauri system), with Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon Crucis, stars in the Southern Cross, visible at the far right (image courtesy of Marco Lorenzi). Now Reading [81wtc3QsUzL] Recent Posts * A 'Tatooine' Planet Directly Imaged * Catching Up with TRAPPIST-1 * The Rest is Silence: Empirically Equivalent Hypotheses about the Universe * The Firefly and the Pulsar * A Reversal of Cosmic Expansion? * Building an Interstellar Philosophy * Jupiter's Impact on the Habitable Zone * Interstellar Mission to a Black Hole On Comments If you'd like to submit a comment for possible publication on Centauri Dreams, I will be glad to consider it. The primary criterion is that comments contribute meaningfully to the debate. Among other criteria for selection: Comments must be on topic, directly related to the post in question, must use appropriate language, and must not be abusive to others. Civility counts. In addition, a valid email address is required for a comment to be considered. Centauri Dreams is emphatically not a soapbox for political or religious views submitted by individuals or organizations. Human comments only, please -- cut and paste from AI will not be acceptable. A long form of the policy can be viewed on the Administrative page. The short form is this: If your comment is not on topic and respectful to others, I'm probably not going to run it. Follow with RSS or E-Mail RSS Follow by Email Follow by E-Mail Get new posts by email: [ ] [Subscribe] Advanced Propulsion Research Beginning and End Exoplanet Projects (Earth) * AFOE * Amateur Exoplanet Archive * Anglo-Australian Planet Search * APACHE Project * ASTEP: Antarctic Search for Transiting Extrasolar Planets * ASTRA * Astro Gregas * Atacama Large Millimetre Array * Automated Planet Finder * Berlin Exoplanet Search Telescope * California & Carnegie Planet Search * Carl Sagan Institute (Cornell) * CARMENES * Carnegie Astrometric Planet Search * CBA Belgium Observatory * CHIRON * CLEVER Planets * CODEX * Colossus * Coralie * DayNight * DEMONEX (DEdicated MONitor of EXotransits) * Dispersed Matter Planet Project * East Asian Planet Search Network * Elodie * ESO Coude Echelle Spectrometer * ESPRESSO (Echelle SPectrograph for Rocky Exoplanet and Stable Spectroscopic Observations) * European Extremely Large Telescope * Evryscope * Exoplanet Tracker * Externally Dispersed Interferometry * Fabra-ROA * GAPS (Global Architecture of Planetary Systems) * Gemini Planet Imager * GEMSS: Global Exoplanet M-dwarf Search-Survey * Geneva Extrasolar Planet Search * Habitable Zone Planet Finder * HARPS North * HARPS-N * HATNet Exoplanet Survey * High Accuracy Radial velocity Planetary Search * Hobby-Eberly Telescope * Italian Search for Extraterrestrial Life * ITASEL * Keck Interferometer * Keck Planet Finder * KELT North * KELT South * KMTNet (Korea Microlensing Telescope Network) * KOBE: K-dwarfs Orbited By habitable Exoplanets * Large Binocular Telescope * Las Cumbres Global Telescope Network * Low Frequency Array * LYOT Project * MACHO * Magdalena Ridge Optical Interferometer * Magellan Telescope * MARVELS * MARVELS (Multi-object APO Radial Velocity Exoplanet Large-area Survey) * MASCARA * Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer * McDonald Observatory * MEarth * METIS (Mid-Infrared E-ELT Imager and Spectrograph) * MicroFUN Microlensing Follow-Up Network * Microlensing Planet Search Project * MINERVA (MINiature Exoplanet Radial Velocity Array) * MOA * MONET * N2K * Nancay Decametric Search * NEAR * NEID Spectrograph * New Mexico Exoplanet Spectroscopic Survey Instrument * NGTS (Next-Generation Transit Survey) * NIRPS (Near Infrared Planet Searcher) * Okayama Planet Search Program * Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment * OWL * PARAS (PRL Advanced Radial-velocity Allsky Search) * Permanent All Sky Survey * PHASES * PIRATE (Physics Innovations Robotic Astronomical Telescope Explorer) * PISCES (Planets in Stellar Clusters Extensive Search) * PLANET * PLANETS * PRIMA-DDL * Project 1640 * QES (Qatar Exoplanet Survey) * Radio Interferometric Planet Search * RoboNet (Microlensing) * SAINT-EX * Search for Trojan Extrasolar Planets * SEEDS (Subaru Strategic Exploration of Exoplanets and Disks) * SHINE * Solaris * Sophie * Spectrashift * SPECULOOS * SPHERE * SPOTS: (Search for Planets Orbiting Two Stars * Square Kilometer Array * STARE * STELLA * SuperWASP * Systemic * Tennessee Automatic Photoelectric Telescope * TEP * Thirty Meter Telescope * TransitSearch * Transitsearch * TRAPPIST (TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope) * TrES: The Transatlantic Exoplanet Survey * TRESCA Project * United Kingdom Infrared Telescope * University of St. Andrews Planet Search * UNSWEPS Project * UVES * Very Large Telescope Interferometer * VIDA * WASP (Wide Angle Search for Planets) * WHAT * XO Project Exoplanet Projects (Space) * ACEsat * Aragoscope * ARIEL: (Atmospheric Remote-Sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey) * ASTERIA * Astro-1 * ATLAST (Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope) * CHEOPS - CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite * CoRoT * CubeSat * Darwin * Dual Use Exoplanet Telescope * ECHO (Exoplanet Characterization Observatory) * Eddington * EPOXI (Extrasolar Planet Observation and Deep Impact Extended Investigation) * Euclid * EXCEDE * ExoplanetSat CubeSat * FINESSE * Gaia * GEST * HabEx * HEK (Hunt for Exomoons with Kepler) * High Etendue Multiple Object Spectrographic Telescope (THE MOST) * High-Definition Space Telescope * HST Astrometry * James Webb Space Telescope * Kepler * Kilometer Space Telescope * Laser Interferometer Space Antenna * LISE Hypertelescope * LUVOIR * MOST (Microvariability and Oscillations of STars) * Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope * NEAT * New Worlds Imager * Origins Billion Star Survey * Origins Space Telescope * Pegase * Planet Imaging Concept Testbed * Plato * PlaVi (PlanetVision) * Project Blue * SISTINE * Space Interferometry Mission * SPICES (Spectro-Polarimetric Imaging and Characterization of Exo-planetary Systems) * Spitzer Space Telescope * SUPER-SHARP * SWEEPS * Terrestrial Planet Finder * TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) * TOLIMAN * Twinkle * UMBRAS Further Astronomical and Astronautical Resources * 100 Year Starship * Acta Astronautica * ADS Abstract Service * Alternative Earths Astrobiology Center * American Astronomical Society * American Geophysical Union * American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics * astro-ph preprint server * AstroArt of David A. Hardy * AstroBetter * Astrobiology Magazine * Astrobites * Astrometry.net * Astronautics Now * Astronomical Journal * Astronomy & Astrophysics * Astronomy Picture of the Day * Astrophysical Journal * Beyond NERVA * British Interplanetary Society * Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society * Cosmic Ancestry * Division for Planetary Sciences * European Federation of Biophysics * Event Horizon Telescope * Exoplanet Transit Database * Exploring the Universe with Andrew Fraknoi * Extrasolar Planets and Astrobiology * Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia * Galaxy Forum * Galileo Project * Google Scholar * Icarus Interstellar * Institute for Interstellar Studies * Interstellar Journey * Interstellar Research Centre * Interstellar Studies Bibliography * James Benford * L'Institut de l'Information Scientifique et Technique * Lunar and Planetary Institute * Meteoritics and Planetary Science * NASA Technical Reports Server * Nature * Orbital Index * Orbital Index * Overview Institute * Physics * Planetary and Life Science Community Meetings Calendar * Planetary and Space Science * Principium (Journal of I4IS) * ResearchGATE * RocketSTEM * Science * Scitizen * SDSS SkyServer * SETI News * SFSU Exoplanet Group * SIMBAD Astronomical Database * Space Agenda * Space Sailing * Space Telescope Science Institute * Space Transport and Engineering Methods * spaceweather.com * The neighborhood * Trans-Neptunian Automated Occultation Survey * Troy Project Weblogs, Discussions, Commentaries * Adam Crowl (Crowlspace) * Airminded * Alien Life * Ancient Solar System * Antimatter * Apparent Brightness * AstroBlog * AstroEngine.com * Astrogator's Logs (Athena Andreadis) * Astronautical Evolution * Astronomist * Astronomy Blog * Astronomy.com Blog * astroPT * Astroquizzical * Asymptotia * Atlas of the Universe * B612 Foundation * Bad Astronomy * Beyond Earthly Skies * Beyond Impossible * Billion Year Plan * Buran Space Shuttle * Captain Interstellar (Paul Titze) * Celestial Matters * Cheap Astronomy * Cocktail Party Physics * collectSPACE * Colony Worlds * Comets & Asteroids: Small Bodies of the Solar System * Cosmic Diary * Cosmic Mirror * Cosmic Stories (Elizabeth Stanway) * Cosmic Tusk * Cosmic Variance * Cosmic Visions * CosmoCoffee * Cumbrian Sky * Dad2059 * Deep Sky Blog * Dialogos of Eide * Dick's Rocket Dungeon * Dragon's Gaze * Dream of the Open Channel * Dreams of Space - Books and Ephemera * Dreams of Space: Books and Ephemera * Drew Ex Machina (Andrew LePage) * DSFP's Spaceflight History Blog * Dynamics of Cats * Eternos Aprendizes * Eureka * Eureka (Daniel Marin) * Ex Space * ExoClimes.com * Exoplanetology * Exoplanets Channel * Extrasolar Visions II * Final Frontier * Finding Pluto * Flank Speed * Fly Me to the Moon * Fraknoi's Universe * Future & Cosmos * Future Incredible * Future Planetary Exploration * Futurismic * Galactic Journey * Gregory Benford * Habitable Worlds * Habitable Zone * Hop's Blog * Il Tredicesimo Cavaliere * In the Dark (Peter Coles) * Innovation Watch * Innumerable Worlds * Invitation to ETI * Isaac Arthur (videos) * James Essig * James Randi Educational Foundation Forum * Jatan's Space * John Cleary Creations * Jon Lomberg * Kentucky Space * Know the Cosmos * Last Word on Nothing * Laurel's Pluto Blog * Leonard David's Inside Outer Space * Letters to Nature * Lifeboat Foundation * Lone Mind * Long Bets Foundation * Long Now Foundation * Lost in Transits * Magellan AO * Many Worlds (Marc Kaufman) * Martian Chronicles * Meridiani Journal * Music of the Spheres * Nano Age * NASA Watch * NASA-UC Eta-Earth Survey * New Papyrus * Next Big Future * NGTS (Next-Generation Transit Survey) * On the Path to Space * One-Minute Astronomer * OrbitalHub * Orion's Arm * Our Universe in 202 Notations * Out of the Cradle * Overcoming Bias (Robin Hanson) * Patrick McCray * peregrinus interstellar * PHASES (Palomar High-precision Astrometric Search for Exoplanet Systems) * Physics arXiv Blog * PI Club * Planet/Planet * PLANETPLANET (Sean Raymond) * Polymath (Robert Clark) * Posthuman Blues * Potentia Tenebras Repellendi * Profiles of Our Future in Space * Project Icarus Weblog * Project Rho (Winchell Chung) * Quasar9 * Real Science * Remote Central * Rick Costello Space Art * Riding with Robots * Robot Explorers * Robot Guy * Rymden i Dag * Science Meets Fiction * Science Meets Fiction (Alex Howe) * Science News * SciTech Journal * Scitizen * Simostronomy * Singularity Institute * Slacker Astronomy * SolStation * Sorting Out Science * Space Archaeology * Space Elevator Blog * Space FTW * Space Law Probe * Space Pragmatism * Space Review * Space Transport News * Space Travel Blog UT Tartu Observatory * Spaceflight History * Spacewriter's Ramblings * Stan Erickson's Alien Civilization Blog * Star Bright? * Star Stryder * Starts with a Bang * Strange Paths * Sufficiently Advanced * Supernova Condensate * This Is Rocket Science * This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics * Tiny Mantras * Titan Exploration * Tom Barclay/Planet Hunter * Tomorrow Is Here * Trevor Paglen * Ultratech Memes * Universe Today * Unmanned Spaceflight * Velcro City Tourist Board * Visions 2200 * Visual Astronomy * Visualizing Science * Wanderingspace * Watered Down Physics * Where's The Flux (Tabby's Star) * Will Gater * Woodward Effect * Worlds of David Darling * Wow! Signal Podcast * Written Worlds Archives * 2025 (81) * 2024 (96) * 2023 (102) * 2022 (104) * 2021 (181) * 2020 (188) * 2019 (191) * 2018 (225) * 2017 (235) * 2016 (237) * 2015 (247) * 2014 (242) * 2013 (232) * 2012 (251) * 2011 (244) * 2010 (268) * 2009 (275) * 2008 (314) * 2007 (382) * 2006 (327) * 2005 (330) * 2004 (131) Copyright (c) 2025 Centauri Dreams. All Rights Reserved.