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	« back Pictures: UK Schmidt Telescope, Skyview; Royal Observatory Edinburgh, Anglo-Australian Observatory, and AURA \| 51 Pegasi In 1995, astronomers announced for the first time that they had found a planet orbiting a normal star (the star in this photograph, called 51 Pegasi) outside of our solar system. Scientists haven't actually seen the planet (or any of the 29 others they have since located), but rather detected it through small changes in the star's motion. The planet is thought to be similar in size and gaseous composition to Jupiter. However, the planet orbits so close to 51 Pegasi that its "year" lasts only about four days.

Pictures: UK Schmidt Telescope, Skyview; Royal Observatory Edinburgh, Anglo-Australian Observatory, and AURA |

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