Aster āŗ Space program āŗ Fomalhaut
Fomalhaut
Position on the route: 132/181 Ā· level needed 1160 Ā· journey (Mk0 engine) 335.1 h
By the numbers
| Distance | ā 25 light-years |
|---|---|
| Mass | ā 1.9 Suns |
| Ring | ā 133 AU radius |
| Age | ā 440 million years |
The story
Fomalhaut is the brightest star of the Southern Fish, about 25 light-years away. In 2008 Hubble imaged a sharp-edged ring of dust and, at its edge, an object called āFomalhaut bā, thought to be the first exoplanet imaged directly.
Fomalhaut b faded over time and its orbit suited a dust cloud better than a planet. In 2020 it was announced to be an expanding cloud from the collision of two icy bodies; Webb (2023) showed additional nested belts of dust in the ring.
Missions
- Hubble (2008): the ring and āFomalhaut bā
- Webb (2023): the inner belts
Colony note
No surface; an observation station at the ringās edge.
ā A star with a giant ring of dust: no surface. An observation station at the ringās edge.
What probes bring back
- About 25 light-years away: the brightest star of the Southern Fish. In 2008 Hubble imaged a sharp ring of dust around it and an object at its edge called āFomalhaut bā.
- Fomalhaut b faded over time and in 2020 it was announced to be not a planet but an expanding cloud of dust from a collision of two icy bodies.