Free Astronomy Magazine September-October 2024

Webb images cold exoplanet 12light-yearsaway byNASA/ESA/CSA BethanyDowner ChristinePulliam n international team of astronomers using NASA’s JamesWebbSpaceTelescope has directly imaged an exoplanet roughly 12 light-years from Earth. Theplanet,EpsilonIndiAb,isoneof thecoldestexoplanetsobservedto date. Theplanetisseveraltimesthemass ofJupiterandorbitstheK-typestar EpsilonIndiA(EpsIndA),whichis around the age of our Sun, but slightly cooler. The team observed Epsilon Indi Ab using the corona- graph on Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). Only a few tens of ex- oplanets have been directly imaged previously by space- and ground- based observatories. ﻣﺠﻠﺔ FreeAstronomy ﺎﻟﻌﺮ ﺔ 46 " " و ﺐ ﻠﺘﻘﻂ ﻟ اً ﺻﻮر ﻮﻛﺐ ﻧ ﻤﻲ ﺎرد ﻳ ﻌﺪ 12 ﺿﻮﺋ ﺔ ﺳﻨﺔ - ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ ﺃﻛﺘﻮﺑﺮ 2 0 2 4 ﻗﺎم ﻓﺮﻳﻖ دوﱄ ﻣﻦ ﻋﻠﻤﺎء اﻟﻔﻠﻚ ﺑﺎﺳﺘﺨﺪام ﺗﻠﺴﻜﻮب ﺟـﻴﻤﺲ وﻳـﺐ اﻟﻔﻀـﺎﺋﻲ اﻟﺘـﺎﺑﻊ ﻟﻨﺎﺳﺎ ﺑﺘﺼﻮﻳﺮ ﻛﻮﻛﺐ ﻧﺠﻤﻲ ﻣﺒﺎﴍة ﻋـﲆ ﺑﻌــﺪ ﺣــﻮاﱄ ١٢ ﺳــﻨﺔ ﺿــﻮﺋﻴﺔ ﻣــﻦ : ﻘﻠﻢ ﺑﻮﻟ ﺎم ﻠ ﻠﻮم وﻛﺮﺴﺘ و ﺎﻟﺔ ﻧﺎﺳﺎ / و ﺎﻟﺔ اﻟﻔﻀﺎء اﻷوروﺑ ﺔ و ﺎﻟﺔ اﻟﻔﻀﺎء اﻟﻜﻨﺪ ﺔ ﻣﺴﺎﻓﺔ ﺗﺒﻠﻎ ﺣﻮاﱄ 12 ﺳـﻨﺔ ﺿـﻮﺋﻴﺔ ﻣـﻦ . ضاﻷر ﻳﻌـﺪ اﻟﻜﻮﻛـﺐ ) E silon Indi Ab ( أﺣﺪ أﺑﺮد اﻟﻜﻮاﻛﺐ اﻟﻨﺠﻤﻴﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻢ رﺻﺪﻫﺎ . ﺣﺘﻰ اﻵن ﺗﺒﻠﻎ ﻛﺘﻠﺔ اﻟﻜﻮ ﻛﺐ ﻋﺪة أﺿـﻌﺎف ﻛﺘﻠﺔ ﻛﻮﻛﺐ ا ﺸﱰي و ﻳـﺪور ﺣـﻮل اﻟـﻨﺠﻢ Epsilon Indi A) ( ﻗﺰم ﺑﺮﺗﻘﺎﱄ ) اﻟﻨﻮع K( هﻋﻤﺮ ﻗﺮﻳﺐ ﻣﻦ ﻋﻤﺮ ﺷﻤﺴﻨﺎ وﻟﻜﻨـﻪ أﻛﺜـﺮ ﺑﺮودة ﻗﻠﻴﻼً . واﻷ ﻗﺮاص واﻟﻨﻔﺎﺛﺎت وﺣﺠﻤﻬﺎ ﺑﺮودة ﻗﻠﻴﻼً . ﻗﺎم اﻟﻔﺮﻳـﻖ ﺑﺮﺻـﺪ اﻟﻜﻮﻛـﺐ Epsilon Indi Ab) ( ﺑﺎﺳــﺘﺨﺪام ﺟﻬــﺎز اﻟﻜﺮوﻧﻮﻏﺮاف ا ﺘﺼﻞ ﺑﻜـﺎﻣ ا ﻣـ ي أداة ) اﻷﺷـﻌﺔ ﺗﺤـﺖ اﻟﺤﻤـﺮاء ا ﺘﻮﺳـﻄﺔ ( ﻋـﲆ ﺗﻠﺴﻜﻮب وﻳﺐ وﻟﻢ ﻳﺘﻢ ﺗﺼﻮﻳﺮ ﺳﻮى ﺑﻀﻊ ﻋﴩات ﻣﻦ اﻟﻜﻮاﻛﺐ اﻟﻨﺠﻤﻴﺔ ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻣﺒﺎﴍ ﺎً ﺳﺎﺑﻘ ﺑﺎﻟﺘﻠﺴﻜﻮﺑﺎت اﻟﻔﻀﺎﺋﻴﺔ واﻷرﺿﻴﺔ .