β Pictoris b Archives

Gallery of images for the epochs at which β Pic d is detected (source indicated with a white arrow). The JWST/NIRCam images have been processed with a high-pass filter to reduce disk flux. The known planet β Pic b is the bright source in the North-East of the image in epochs 1–3. In epochs 4 and 5, β Pic b is within the inner mask used for data reduction. We note that for the 2014-12-08 epoch (epoch 6), β Pic b and β Pic d are nearly coincident; planet β Pic b (open circle) has been subtracted here to allow the much fainter β Pic d (arrow) to be seen. All images use the same normalized color scale and field of view, with ticks spaced at 1 arcsec intervals. -- astro-ph.EP

Direct Imaging Discovery of Giant Exoplanet β Pictoris d: A Decade-Long Game of Hide-and-Seek

by Keith CowingJune 24, 2026June 24, 2026

We report the direct imaging discovery of a third exoplanet in the β Pictoris system. We detect β Pictoris d in non-coronagraphic observations obtained with VLT/ERIS as well as multi-epoch […]

The upper limits on exosatellites around 𝛽 Pictoris b. The blue line represents the radial velocity limits for 50% retrieval of injected edge-on circular orbits. The red line is the outermost stable prograde orbit for an exosatellite around 𝛽 Pictoris b. The pale green line corresponds to astrometric limits from Macias et al. (2026). The Roche limits for rigid and fluid exosatellite bodies are shown in gray on the left. The predicted mass and location for an exomoon which could give Beta Pic b a high obliquity is indicated in purple (Poon et al. 2024). The predicted sensitivity for an additional 25 observations with CRIRES+ is shown in purple. -- astro-ph.EP

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Beta Pictoris, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Upper Limits On Exosatellites Around β Pictoris b

by Keith CowingJune 8, 2026June 10, 2026

β Pictoris b is one of the closest known directly-imaged gas giant exoplanets with an orbit that is almost edge-on to our line of sight, making it an ideal target […]

Schematic diagram (not to scale) of four angular momentum vectors in the β Pictoris system: total angular momentum (Lˆ), orbital angular momentum of planets b and c (nˆorbit,b, nˆorbit,c), and the spin vector of planet b (nˆspin,b). The mutual inclination between nˆorbit,b and nˆorbit,c is ∼ 1 ◦. Secular spin-orbit resonance can occur when the period of orbit nodal regression (path along grey dotted circle on the left) has a similar period to the spin axis precession (path along black dotted circle on the right). The period of spin axis precession can be greatly shortened in the presence of a close-in equatorial exomoon, which acts as a lever and effectively extends the planet’s equatorial bulge. I is the orbital inclination of β Pictoris b (orange ellipse) relative to the invariable plane (grey ellipse). -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Beta Pictoris, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

A Potential Exomoon From The Predicted Planet Obliquity Of β Pictoris b

by Keith CowingDecember 17, 2024December 17, 2024

Planet obliquity is the alignment or misalignment of a planet spin axis relative to its orbit normal. In a multiplanet system, this obliquity is a valuable signature of planet formation […]

Full light curve of all available observations of the star β Pictoris used in this work. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Beta Pictoris, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

The β Pictoris b Hill Sphere Transit Campaign. Paper II: Searching for the Signatures of the β Pictoris Exoplanets Through Time Delay Analysis of the δ Scuti Pulsations

by Keith CowingJune 11, 2024June 11, 2024

The β Pictoris system is the closest known stellar system with directly detected gas giant planets, an edge-on circumstellar disc, and evidence of falling sublimating bodies and transiting exocomets. The […]

Detection of the planet using model templates of the full planet, H2O and CO using cross-correlation (top row) and the likelihood ratio (bottom row). The radial velocity is shown here in the barycentric restframe. In the top panel we also show the cross-correlation value for a reference spectrum, which was taken at the same separation on the other side of the star. In the bottom panels we indicate the location of the star and the planet and the expected velocity of the planet. -- astro-ph.IM

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

β Pictoris b Through The Eyes Of The Upgraded CRIRES+

by Keith CowingNovember 24, 2023November 24, 2023

Context: High-resolution spectrographs fed by adaptive optics (AO) provide a unique opportunity to characterize directly imaged exoplanets. Observations with such instruments allow us to probe the atmospheric composition, spin rotation, […]

β Pictoris b

Direct Imaging Discovery of Giant Exoplanet β Pictoris d: A Decade-Long Game of Hide-and-Seek

Upper Limits On Exosatellites Around β Pictoris b

A Potential Exomoon From The Predicted Planet Obliquity Of β Pictoris b

The β Pictoris b Hill Sphere Transit Campaign. Paper II: Searching for the Signatures of the β Pictoris Exoplanets Through Time Delay Analysis of the δ Scuti Pulsations

β Pictoris b Through The Eyes Of The Upgraded CRIRES+

Training For Astrobiology Spelunking On Mars

Mars Perseverance Rover’s Panoramic View of Broom Point

Planets Orbiting Barnard’s Star Seem To Be Small, Strange, And Utterly Uninhabitable

Experimental Astrochemistry And Machine Learning Unravel The Formation Of Oxygen-bearing Organic Molecules In Extraterrestrial Ices

Bacteria Form Herds To Survive Predators, Offering Fresh Insight Into Earth’s Carbon Cycle