Astronomers detect water in the atmosphere of a planet 179 light-years away

It&#x27;s amazing when you consider that this is a <i>direct image</i> (the first image in the article) of planets almost 200 light years away, taken from telescopes on the <i>surface of the Earth</i> -- something that would have made me jump up and down with excitement twenty years ago. It is now almost routine.<p>Also note that these planets are gas giants about 20AU away from the parent star. It&#x27;s entirely possible that there are rocky planets closer to the star that might be getting occluded along with the star&#x27;s light. Those may have water too.

It seems to be 129 light years away, not 179.<p>astrobiology.nasa.gov, the Open Exoplanet Catalogue, space.com, britannica.com all say it&#x27;s (about) 129 light years away. Wikipedia says 129±4.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;HR_8799" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;HR_8799</a><p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.openexoplanetcatalogue.com&#x2F;planet&#x2F;HR%208799%20e&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.openexoplanetcatalogue.com&#x2F;planet&#x2F;HR%208799%20e&#x2F;</a><p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.britannica.com&#x2F;place&#x2F;HR-8799" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.britannica.com&#x2F;place&#x2F;HR-8799</a><p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;astrobiology.nasa.gov&#x2F;news&#x2F;a-four-planet-system-in-orbit-directly-imaged-and-remarkable&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;astrobiology.nasa.gov&#x2F;news&#x2F;a-four-planet-system-in-o...</a>

distance from earth = 179 * 5.9 trillion miles

Detecting water is a new thing?<p>People have been using Drowsing for ages.<p>Galatic Drowsing.

It is a gas giant with water, not a terrestrial planet. Sorry to burst your bubble.