eso0428 — Science Release Is This Speck of Light an Exoplanet?
VLT Images and Spectra of Intriguing Object near Young Brown
Dwarf  10 September 2004 Is this newly discovered feeble point
of light the long-sought bona-fide image of an exoplanet? A
research paper by an international team of astronomers  provides
sound arguments in favour, but the definitive answer is now
awaiting further observations. On several occasions during the
past years, astronomical images revealed faint objects, seen
near much brighter stars. Some of these have been thought to be
those of orbiting exoplanets, but after further study, none of
them could stand up to the real test. Some turned out to be
faint stellar companions, others were entirely unrelated
background stars. This one may well be different. In April of
this year, the team of European and American astronomers
detected a faint and very red point of light very near (at 0.8
arcsec angular distance) a brown-dwarf object, designated
2MASSWJ1207334-393254. Also known as "2M1207