New Planet

  • Released Tuesday, October 22nd, 2013
  • Updated Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 1:51PM
  • ID: 11365

Scientists estimate more than 100 billion planets exist beyond our solar system. These alien worlds, known as exoplanets, orbit distant stars located light-years from Earth. One such planet is called HD 189733b. A gas giant slightly larger than Jupiter, HD 189733b circles its star from a distance of only 3 million miles. That's 13 times closer than Mercury is to our sun. As a result, temperatures in its atmosphere approach 2,000°F. Astronomers discovered HD 189733b in 2005 after observing its parent star dimming with every pass, or transit, of the planet. We now know from follow-up observations by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope that HD 189733b is blue in color. Watch the video to learn more.

In the search for Earth-like planets, astronomers uncover a strange blue world.

In the search for Earth-like planets, astronomers uncover a strange blue world.

Why is HD 189733b blue? Watch this video to find out.

HD 189733b is located 63 light-years from Earth. This illustration shows how the planet would appear up close.

HD 189733b is located 63 light-years from Earth. This illustration shows how the planet would appear up close.

To date, more than 60 exoplanets (black circles) have been observed transiting their host star.

To date, more than 60 exoplanets (black circles) have been observed transiting their host star.

The Hubble Space Telescope (above) launched into space in 1990.

The Hubble Space Telescope (above) launched into space in 1990.

For More Information

See Science@NASA

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Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
Science@NASA and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Cover image courtesy of NASA/CXC/M. Weiss
Video courtesy of Science@NASA
HD 189733b illustration courtesy of NASA/ESA/M. Kornmesser
Exoplanets image courtesy of Fermilab Center for Particle Astrophysics/J. Steffen