Discovery
The ELODIE Planet Search Survey, undertaken using the ELODIE spectrograph at the Haute-Provence Observatory in southeastern France, was a large-scale search for extrasolar planets orbiting G-type and F-type dwarf stars visible from the Northern Hemisphere through use of the radial velocity method (the orbit of a planet tugs on its host star as it orbits, causing a perceived Doppler effect in the star's spectrum). This survey, which started in 1994, led to the discovery of 51 Pegasi b, the first extrasolar planet discovered in the orbit of a sunlike star. By 2003, the discovery of six new planets, including HD 8574 b, was announced, bringing ELODIE's planet discovery count to eighteen.
HD 8574, one of the target stars of ELODIE, had been previously catalogued by the European Space Agency with the release of the Hipparcos catalogue in 1997. Most of HD 8574's characteristics were extracted from this catalogue for use in searching for a planet around HD 8574. The spectrum was then analyzed to see if HD 8574 were active, a factor that could mask or mimic the signal of an orbiting planet. It was found that the star was not significantly active.
In the case of HD 8574, ELODIE obtained 41 radial velocity measurements, which had, at the time of the discovery paper, been collected since January 11, 1998. Analysis of the collected data confirmed the existence of a planet orbiting HD 8574. Of the six, the planet HD 8574 b had the shortest orbital period, orbiting its host star under three years (unlike the five other planets that had been discovered by ELODIE at the same time).
HD 8574 b was announced by the European Southern Observatory on April 4, 2001. The findings addressing HD 8574's discovery were published in 2003.
Read more about this topic: HD 8574 B
Famous quotes containing the word discovery:
“That the discovery of this great truth, which lies so near and obvious to the mind, should be attained to by the reason of so very few, is a sad instance of the stupidity and inattention of men, who, though they are surrounded with such clear manifestations of the Deity, are yet so little affected by them, that they seem as it were blinded with excess of light.”
—George Berkeley (1685–1753)
“The discovery of Pennsylvania’s coal and iron was the deathblow to Allaire. The works were moved to Pennsylvania so hurriedly that for years pianos and the larger pieces of furniture stood in the deserted houses.”
—For the State of New Jersey, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“The gain is not the having of children; it is the discovery of love and how to be loving.”
—Polly Berrien Berends (20th century)