Word: vegas
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Despite the lack of a visual siting, however, the detection has gained unusual attention because it represents the first positive astronomical measurement of solid material in deep space larger than dust grains or gas partices, which are unable to sustain the type of orbital activity now suspected around Vega...
...available evidence may suggest for or against the presence of a major planetary system around Vega, and is intriguing in its own right. But the issue as to whether there are planets is not easily resolved," said Professor of Astronomy Alastair G. W. Cameron...
...There's a large list of eminent astronomers who are now kicking themselves because they had the information and never followed up," said Beichman, who explained that while Vega is a star commonly used by astronomers as a sort of "space lighthouse" for calibrating visual instruments, data from countless other stars--about 250,000 in JPL's computers alone--has been gathered for various purposes other than the type of infrared examination that led to the latest find...
While scientists at JPL and elsewhere are now reviewing past data in search of further confirmation of the Vega particles at least one Harvard scientist is planning on taking a more direct look--through some ground-based telescopes based in Hawaii. Giovanni G. Facio, lecturer on Astronomy, said that he planned to use a trip to an observatory on the Pacific Island this past weekend to see if he could visually site the particles, which he said might resemble the rings around Saturn...
...large planets around another star, but there does seem to be all the potential for forming a planetary system there," said Fazio, who is well-known for his knowledge of infrared astronomy. Fazio will have an infrared satellite of his own--slightly different from the one which made the Vega finding--launched into orbit aboard a space shuttle mission now scheduled for March...