HUBBLE ATLAS
The mysterious object TMR-1C and its protobinaries (IRAS 04361+2547 , TMR-1C) — image from the Hubble Space Telescope

Exoplanets

The mysterious object TMR-1C and its protobinaries

May 28, 1998 · ESA/Hubble · IRAS 04361+2547 , TMR-1C

Zoom to full resolution Original on ESA/Hubble ↗

Originally suspected to be the first directly detected planet outside our Solar System follow up observations have shown that the object is most likely a background star whose light is has been dimmed and reddened by interstellar dust. Even newer observations have now brought the phantom planet back from oblivion.

It seems that TMR-1C is a protoplanet, located about 1 000 AU from its host stars, which are in the center of this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope picture. However the true nature of TMR-1C is still unclear and needs further investigation.