ESOcast 197 Light: GRAVITY uncovers stormy exoplanet skies

The GRAVITY instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) has made the first direct observation of an exoplanet using optical interferometry. This method revealed a complex exoplanetary atmosphere with clouds of iron and silicates swirling in a planet-wide storm. The technique presents unique possibilities for characterising many of the exoplanets known today.

The video is available in 4K UHD.

The ESOcast Light is a series of short videos bringing you the wonders of the Universe in bite-sized pieces. The ESOcast Light episodes will not be replacing the standard, longer ESOcasts, but complement them with current astronomy news and images in ESO press releases.

Credit:

Credit: ESO

Directed by: Nico Bartmann.
Editing: Nico Bartmann.
Web and technical support: Mathias André and Raquel Yumi Shida.
Written by: Sarah Leach & Calum Turner.
Music: John Stanford — Aurora (johnstanfordmusic.com)
Footage and photos: ESO, L. Calçada, Nick Risinger (skysurvey.org), , D. Gasparri (www.astroatacama.com).
Scientific consultants: Paola Amico and Mariya Lyubenova.
Executive producer: Lars Lindberg Christensen.