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Exoplanets: Seeing is Believing (5 of 9)

Caption: Schematic representation of the HR 8799 planetary system compared to our solar system (viewed pole on and at the same distance as HR 8799). HR 8799 planet orbits are plotted assuming a pole-on view and circular orbits. A Kuiper Belt-like ring of dust, suggested by excess infrared light seen by the IRAS and ISO satellites, has been added. The HR 8799 dust disk is one of the heaviest detected by ISO and IRAS. It is thought that HR 8799b dynamically interacts with this dust disk in a way very similar to Neptune and the Kuiper Belt in our solar system.

Credit: Image courtesy of National Research Council Canada, via Science-AAAS

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