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Image: Betapic orbit v2 reduced

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Betapic_orbit_v2_reduced.gif ‎(600 × 600 pixels, file size: 1,019 KB, MIME type: image/gif, looped, 265 frames, 11 s)
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Description: β Pic b's orbit is just one degree from being perfectly edge-on. In this movie, twice we see the planet pass behind the coronagraph mask (black circle) that's blocking the bright star, and reppear on the other side. When the planet is unobservable, its estimated position is marked with an 'x'. β Pic b creates a warp in the disk we can see. This system also harbors a belt of rocky rubble as well as another gas giant planet closer in (both not seen in the movie). This movie is a 17-year time-lapse using over 30 frames of data from the Gemini Planet Imager, VLT/NACO, and VLT/SPHERE.
Author: Jason Wang & Malachi Noel (Northwestern)
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
License: CC-BY-SA-3.0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Attribution Required?: Yes

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