New instrument will facilitate direct imaging of exoplanets

Ars Technica : Most of the exoplanets that have been found either were detected when they transited between their star and Earth or were inferred to exist because their gravity caused their star to wobble. Very few have been found by direct imaging. The Gemini Planet Imager that has been added to the Gemini South telescope in Chile will likely make direct imaging much easier. The new instrument uses a coronagraph to block the light of the central star so that the light reflected off the orbiting planet can be seen. Combined with the telescope’s adaptive optics and optimized hardware, the new instrument was able to identify planets much more quickly than previous efforts. In December 2013, running at one-third power, the imager was able to take a clear picture of a known exoplanet after just 60 seconds of exposure. Previously, exposure times reached one hour, and images required significant postprocessing to verify the presence of a planet. The Gemini Planet Imager will begin its operations with a survey of 600 nearby young stars and is expected to be able to identify Jupiter-size planets orbiting within 3 AU of their star.