The European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope in Chile has discovered an exoplanet in the unique stellar system HIP 81208, located 480 light-years from Earth.
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Massive planet
The newly found exoplanet is 15 times more massive than Jupiter. The planet orbits a small star in the HIP 81208 system, which itself orbits a larger star.
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Quadruple system
This hierarchical quadruple system, "with two stars and two smaller bodies orbiting each one," will help astronomers understand complex systems.
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Discovery
The discovery of the exoplanet in HIP 81208 marks the "first hierarchical quadruple system to be found using direct imaging," according to ESO.
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Process
Most exoplanets are discovered through what's called the transit method, which makes the latest discovery particularly noteworthy.
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Giant exoplanet
Astronomers from the Paris Observatory found the giant exoplanet creating a blob in the ring of light surrounding its parent star.