Near-infrared image of AB Doradus A and its companion
Enhanced, false-colour near-infrared image of AB Dor A and C. The faint companion "AB Dor C" — seen as the pink dot at 8 o'clock — is 120 times fainter than its primary star. The tiny separation between A and C, only 0.156 arcsec, is smaller than a one Euro coin seen at 20 km distance. Nevertheless, the new NACO SDI camera was able to distinguish it as a "redder" dot surrounded by the "bluer" light from AB Dor A. The orbit of AB Dor C around AB Dor A is shown as a yellow ellipse. It takes 11.75 years for the 93 Jupiter-mass companion to complete this orbit.
Credit:
ESO
About the Image
| Id: | eso0503a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 19 January 2005 |
| Related releases: | eso0503 |
| Size: | 800 x 671 px |
About the Object
| Name: | AB Doradus |
| Type: | • Milky Way : Star • Milky Way : Star : Type : Variable : Flare Star • Milky Way : Star : Type : Brown Dwarf • Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Triple • X - Stars |
| Distance: | 50 light years |
Colours & filters
| Band | Telescope |
| Infrared Near-IR |
Very Large Telescope NACO |
| Infrared Near-IR |
Very Large Telescope NACO |
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