2M1207
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Observation data Epoch J2000.0 |
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Constellation | Hydra |
Right ascension | 12h 07m 33.4s |
Declination | -39° 32' 54" |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 13 |
Distance | 173 ly (53 pc) |
Spectral type | M8V |
Other designations | |
2MASSW J1207334-393254
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2M1207, 2M1207A or 2MASSW J1207334-393254 is a brown dwarf star located in the constellation Hydra; a companion object, 2M1207b, is believed to be one of the first extrasolar planets to be directly imaged, and is the first exoplanet to be discovered in orbit of a brown dwarf.
Located at right ascension 12hr 7min 33.4sec, and declination -39° 32′ 54″ (J2000.0 celestial coordinates), 2M1207 was discovered during the course of the 2MASS infrared sky survey: hence the "2M" in its name, followed by its celestial coordinates. It is roughly 53 parsecs away; with a fairly early (for a brown dwarf) spectral type of M8, it is very young, and a likely member of the TW Hydrae association. Its estimated mass is around 21 Jupiter masses.
In December 2005, American astronomer Eric Mamajek reported a more accurate distance to 2M1207 using the moving cluster method. The new distance (revised downwards from 70 parsecs) results in a fainter luminosity for 2M1207A, and its mass was revised downwards from an original value of 25 Jupiter masses.
[edit] 2M1207b
Extrasolar planet | Lists of extrasolar planets | |
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Observed position | ||
Observed separation | (d) | 41 ± 5 AU |
Physical characteristics | ||
Mass | (m) | 3.3+1.5-1.0 MJ |
Radius | (r) | 1.5 RJ |
Density | (ρ) | ? kg/m3 |
Temperature | (T) | 1250 ± 200 K |
Discovery information | ||
Discovery date | 2004 | |
Discoverer(s) | Chauvin et al. | |
Detection method | Imaged | |
Discovery status | Confirmed |
2M1207b is a planetary mass companion to 2M1207 detected in 2004 by imaging. It is approximately 5.1125694 × 10^9 miles away from its star, 2M1207.
[edit] References
- Space.com - Astronomers Confident: Planet Beyond Solar System Has Been Photographed
- Space.com article on the discovery
- Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia page on 2M1207 b
- "A Giant Planet Candidate Near a Young Brown Dwarf" (PDF) from the European Southern Observatory.
- "A Moving Cluster Distance to the Exoplanet 2M1207b in the TW Hydrae Association"