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Podcast: StarDate
Episode: More Fomalhaut
Description: The star Fomalhaut is a bit of a disappointment. Almost two decades ago, astronomers announced the discovery of a giant planet orbiting the star – the first exoplanet actually seen at visible wavelengths of light. Almost from the beginning, though, other astronomers questioned the discovery. And they were right. It wasn’t a planet at all, but a big clump of dust – the aftermath of a giant collision.
Fomalhaut is about twice as big and heavy as the Sun, and quite a bit brighter. It’s encircled by wide bands of dust. Most of the dust is at least a...