Changes

The debris, or dust, disk that surrounds Fomalhaut was first discovered in 1983.  The disk itself has a very defined inner edge at 133 AU from the star.  Because the disk is inclined at some 24 degrees from the plane of the star system, it appears to have a toroidal shape.  The disk is seen as a younger version of our own [[Kuiper Belt]].<ref>http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0506574</ref>  It was the observations of the debris disk that lead scientists to first conclude there was likely a planet just inside the inner edge of the disk.

The debris, or dust, disk that surrounds Fomalhaut was first discovered in 1983.  The disk itself has a very defined inner edge at 133 AU from the star.  Because the disk is inclined at some 24 degrees from the plane of the star system, it appears to have a toroidal shape.  The disk is seen as a younger version of our own [[Kuiper Belt]].<ref>http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0506574</ref>  It was the observations of the debris disk that lead scientists to first conclude there was likely a planet just inside the inner edge of the disk.

In 2008 a team of astronomers first observed a gas giant type world orbiting Fomalhaut just inside the clearly defined inner edge of the dust disk at an average distance of 115 AU from its parent star, now deemed [[Fomalhaut b]].<ref>Kalas, Paul; et al. (2008). "Optical Images of an Exosolar Planet 25 Light-Years from Earth". Science 322 (5906): 1345–1348. doi:10.1126/science.1166609</ref>  This newly discovered world is most famous for being the first exosolar world to be discovered and observed in visible light.<ref>http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2008/39/</ref>  The exact mass of this world is not known but it is estimated to be no more then three times [[Jupiter|Jupiter's]] mass and at least as massive as [[Neptune]].

In 2008 a team of astronomers first observed a gas giant type world orbiting Fomalhaut just inside the clearly defined inner edge of the dust disk at an average distance of 115 AU from its parent star, now deemed [[Fomalhaut b]].<ref>Kalas, Paul; et al. (2008). "Optical Images of an Exosolar Planet 25 Light-Years from Earth". Science 322 (5906): 1345–1348. doi:10.1126/science.1166609</ref>  This newly discovered world is most famous for being the first exosolar world to be discovered and observed in visible light.<ref>http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2008/39/</ref>  The exact mass of this world is not known but it is estimated to be no more than three times [[Jupiter|Jupiter's]] mass and at least as massive as [[Neptune]].

The mean distance for an [[Earth|Earth-like]] world which could have liquid [[water]] on its surface is centered around 4.1 AU, equivalent to between the [[asteroid belt]] and Jupiter in our system.  Such a world would orbit the star once every 5.5 years.

The mean distance for an [[Earth|Earth-like]] world which could have liquid [[water]] on its surface is centered around 4.1 AU, equivalent to between the [[asteroid belt]] and Jupiter in our system.  Such a world would orbit the star once every 5.5 years.