Planet unearth for Irish boffins

Galway team thrilled to discover new gas giant

- BY SEAN MURPHY

SPACE has a new planet thanks to Galway University scientists who made astronomical history with the exciting find.

The team of astronomers discovered the gas planet - believed to be many times the mass of Jupiter - by using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile.

Dr Christian Ginski from the Centre for Astronomy in the School of Natural Sciences at University of Galway led the team.

FORMING

With him were four postgraduate students; Chloe Lawlor, Dan McLachlan, Matt Murphy and Jake Byrne.