![\"Using](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/using-a-unique-method.jpg\" "\\"Photometric")
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Photometric data and fitted light curve of the event AT2021uey. Credit: Astronomy & Astrophysics (2025). DOI: 10.1051\/0004-6361\/202554236<\/p>\n
Scientists from Vilnius University (VU) Faculty of Physics, together with colleagues from Poland and other countries, have identified an exoplanet\u2014a gas giant located far from the galactic center. This is only the third such discovery in the entire history of observations.<\/p>\n
The discovery is even more exceptional due to the method used\u2014the phenomenon known as microlensing. The results of the observations have been published<\/a> in Astronomy & Astrophysics.<\/p>\n Third such case in history<\/p>\n “This kind of work requires a lot of expertise, patience, and, frankly, a bit of luck. You have to wait for a long time for the source star and the lensing object to align and then check an enormous amount of data. Ninety percent of observed stars pulsate for various other reasons, and only a minority of cases show the microlensing effect,” says Dr. Marius Maskoli\u016bnas, the head of the Lithuanian research team.<\/p>\n Gravitational microlensing is a rare phenomenon, first predicted by Albert Einstein in the early 20th century. It occurs when a massive body, such as a star or a dark, invisible object, briefly positions itself directly in front of a more distant star. The light from the latter then becomes amplified, as if magnified by an invisible magnifying glass. This temporary light “pulsation” is what astronomers search for while analyzing vast amounts of data.<\/p>\n According to the scientist, the collaboration and discovery itself happened almost by chance. It all began during a visit to colleagues at the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw. One of the method’s enthusiasts, Prof Lukasz Wyrzykowski, suggested preparing a joint Polish-Lithuanian project. His idea was simple\u2014to analyze data from the European Space Agencys Gaia telescope, verify it, and supplement it with ground-based observations. The telescopes at VU’s Mol\u0117tai Astronomical Observatory are suitable for this purpose.<\/p>\n The phenomenon that hinted at the location of planet AT2021uey b was first observed in 2021. After scientists carefully verified and analyzed the data, they were finally able to determine that it is a gas giant<\/a> located 3,262 light-years away, with a mass that reaches 1.3 times that of Jupiter. It orbits around a so-called M dwarf\u2014a relatively small and cool star, completing one orbit every 4,170 days. Their unusual size ratio also contributed to the planet’s discovery\u2014detecting an Earth-type planet would have been much more difficult.<\/p>\n As Assoc. Prof. Edita Stonkut\u0117, the leader of the joint Polish-Lithuanian project in Lithuania, notes, no less interesting is where it was detected.<\/p>\n “Most microlensing effects are recorded at the densest part of the galaxy\u2014in its center and disk. However, we managed to find this microlensing phenomenon quite far from the center, in the so-called galactic halo. This is only the third planet in observational history to be discovered so far from the galactic bulge,” states the researcher.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA promising search method<\/p>\n The very first planet orbiting a star was discovered exactly three decades ago, in 1995. Since then, nearly 6,000 more have been confirmed. Nevertheless, this science is still considered relatively young, and astronomers are constantly expanding their knowledge about what planets and their systems might look like.<\/p>\n “When the first planet around a sun-like star was discovered, there was a great surprise that this Jupiter-type planet was so close to its star. As data accumulated, we learned that many types of planetary systems are completely unlike ours\u2014the solar system. We’ve had to rethink planetary formation models more than once,” explains Assoc. Prof. E. Stonkut\u0117.<\/p>\n The microlensing<\/a> method is promising because it allows the detection of what is unexpected or even invisible. Dr. M. Maskoli\u016bnas reminds us that if we were to add up all the visible mass of the Milky Way, we would obtain, at best, one-tenth of the total mass. In other words, the remaining 90% is still invisible to us. Microlensing enables us to unveil this mystery partially.<\/p>\n “What fascinates me about this method is that it can detect those invisible bodies. Other methods work like selective receivers, which, as if with a magnifying glass, focus on a specific cosmic zone that interests you. But in this case, you’re essentially measuring shadows. A very simplified comparison\u2014you’re measuring the duration of some moving object’s shadow.<\/p>\n “Imagine a bird flying past you. You don’t see the bird itself and don’t know what color it is\u2014only its shadow. But from it, you can, with some level of probability, determine whether it was a sparrow or a swan and at what distance from us. It’s an incredibly intriguing process,” says the scientist.<\/p>\n More information:<\/strong> \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCitation<\/strong>: \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tM. Ban et al, AT2021uey: A planetary microlensing event outside the Galactic bulge, Astronomy & Astrophysics (2025). DOI: 10.1051\/0004-6361\/202554236<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVilnius University<\/a>
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUsing a unique method, astronomers have discovered an exceptional new planet (2025, June 18)
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tretrieved 18 June 2025
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