Planet orbiting star Fomalhaut
auteur: Nasa/ESA/ESO/Novapix
référence: a-exo01-00022
Image Size 300 DPI: 25 * 17 cm
This illustration shows the discovered planet, Fomalhaut b, orbiting its sun, Fomalhaut. This structure is a Saturn-like ring that astronomers say may encircle the planet. Fomalhaut also is surrounded by a ring of material. The edge of this vast disk is shown in the background as the curving cloud-like feature that appears to intersect the 200-million year-old star. Fomalhaut b lies three billion kilometres inside the disk's inner edge. The planet completes an orbit around Fomalhaut every 872 years.