VLT Archives

Left panel: Original L-band detection of CC1 in Close et al. (2025a). Middle panel: New H-band detection of WISPIT 2c following RDI. We show a confined annulus that was used for optimal stellar signal subtraction. Note that the bright arch on the right side of the annulus is the forward scattering side of the circumstellar disk. Right panel: Detection map of WISPIT 2c planet with VLTI/GRAVITY on the night of 2025-10-04. The map shows the periodogram power maps of a point source companion as a function of angular offset from the star, where the companion location corresponds to the strongest peak. -- ESO

Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

A Solar System In The Making?

by Keith CowingMarch 25, 2026March 25, 2026

Astronomers have observed two planets forming in the disc around a young star named WISPIT 2. Having previously detected one planet, the team have now employed European Southern Observatory (ESO) […]

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

Atmospheric Constraints On GJ 1214 b From CRIRES+ And Prospects For Characterisation With ANDES

by Keith CowingFebruary 19, 2026February 19, 2026

In this study, we aim to constrain the atmospheric composition of GJ 1214 b using all available transits observed with the upgraded CRIRES+ spectrograph at the VLT by searching for […]

Orbit of 51 Eri b. The left panel shows the predicted RV of the planet as a function of time. The HiRISE RV measurements are overplotted as red dots, along with the rejected orbits in grey from the addition of the RV measurements. The middle panel is a zoomed-in version of the left panel around our RV measurements. In particular, we see that a future RV measurement at the end of 2026 should enable us to reject the last low-eccentric orbital populations. This is illustrated by the dashed vertical line overplotted at the end of 2026. The right panel displays the astrometric orbit of the planet inferred, including the line of nodes and the phase of the planet. The red crosses represent the estimate of the position of the planet during the HiRISE observations. -- astro-ph.EP

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

Cold And Eccentric: A High-spectral Resolution View Of 51 Eri b With VLT/HiRISE

by Keith CowingFebruary 13, 2026

Discovered almost 10 years ago, the giant planet 51 Eridani b is one of the least separated (0.2 arcsec) and faintest (J = 19.74 mag) directly imaged exoplanets known to […]

The different Solar System bodies and exoplanets this chapter focuses on, and associated missions. Those with a strong PlanetS involvement are shown with an asterisk. -- astro-ph.EP

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Climates Of Terrestrial Exoplanets And Biosignatures

by Keith CowingJanuary 29, 2026January 29, 2026

Understanding the climates of terrestrial exoplanets and the detectability of biosignatures is an inherently interdisciplinary challenge, requiring the integration of insights from Solar System exploration, exoplanet observations and climate science. […]

Dust clouds reflect starlight around the star R Doradus. As it nears the end of its life, the star is shedding its outer layers, forming clouds of gas and dust around it (shown here in pink and yellow). Scientists have long believed that starlight illuminating these clouds could power a stellar wind. But the colour of the light around the star reflected by dust, , shows that the dust grains are too small to explain the star’s wind. The image was taken in polarised visible light with VLT/SPHERE. In the centre in yellow and orange, we see ALMA’s image showing the surface of the star. Credit ESO/T. Schirmer/T. Khouri; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Interstellar, Panspermia, Press Release, Space Weather & Heliophysics

Stardust Study Resets How Life’s Atoms Spread Through Space

by Keith CowingDecember 29, 2025December 29, 2025

Starlight and stardust are not enough to drive the powerful winds of giant stars, transporting the building blocks of life through our galaxy. That’s the conclusion of a new study […]

This artist’s impression shows a view of the surface of the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Solar System. © ESO/M. Kornmesser

Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Proxima Centauri

Conclusive Tests For The RISTRETTO Proxima b Exoplanet Explorer

by Keith CowingDecember 10, 2025December 10, 2025

The RISTRETTO project, dedicated to observing Proxima b –the closest exoplanet to the Solar System — is reaching a new milestone: several key components of this high-precision spectrograph have been […]

Images of the total intensity of scattered light from debris disks detected with IRDIS, IFS, or ZIMPOL. The white bar at the bottom of each image corresponds to 1″. In all images, sky north is up and east is to the left. Original image -- Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Comets and Asteroids, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

SPHERE’s Debris Disk Gallery: Tell-tale Signs Of Dust And Small Bodies In Distant Solar Systems

by Keith CowingDecember 10, 2025December 10, 2025

Observations with the instrument SPHERE at ESO’s Very Large Telescope have produced an unprecedented gallery of “debris disks” in exoplanetary systems. Gaël Chauvin (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy), project scientist […]

This artist’s impression shows Cha 1107-7626. Located about 620 light-years away, this rogue planet is about 5-10 times more massive than Jupiter and doesn’t orbit a star.

Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release

A Rogue Planet Is Growing At Record Rate Of Six Billion Tons Per Second

by Keith CowingOctober 5, 2025October 5, 2025

Astronomers have identified an enormous ‘growth spurt’ in a so-called rogue planet. Unlike the planets in our Solar System, these objects do not orbit stars, free-floating on their own instead.

Continuum-subtracted spectra of comet 3I obtained on August 28 and September 3+4. Three narrow FeI lines are detected on August 28 in this spectral range, FeI λ3719.93Å being the brightest iron line detected in our spectra. On the average spectrum obtained in September 3+4 (shifted vertically for clarity), the FeI lines are brighter, and four of them are detected. Broad emission features due to background [OII] emission at 3727Å and 3729Å are also observed. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Extreme NiI/FeI Abundance Ratio In The Coma Of The Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

by Keith CowingOctober 2, 2025October 2, 2025

Emission lines of FeI and NiI are commonly found in the coma of solar system comets, even at large heliocentric distances.

Alpha Centauri, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Stellar Cartography

Seeking The Worlds Of Avatar: Prospects for Detecting Moons Orbiting a Giant Planet in Alpha Centauri A’s Habitable Zone

by Keith CowingSeptember 22, 2025September 22, 2025

Nearby giant exoplanets offer an opportunity to search for moons (exomoons) orbiting them. Here, we present a simulation framework for investigating the possibilities of detecting exomoons via their astrometric signal […]