Minister of State Goodyear Congratulates NRC Researcher on Discovery of New Planet in Another Solar System

Ottawa, December 8, 2010—The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), today congratulated a Canadian-led international team of astronomers on their discovery of another planet outside our solar system.

“Our government is proud of the scientific talent that continues to make leading discoveries that benefit Canadians and people around the world,” said Minister of State Goodyear. “I would like to congratulate astronomer Dr. Christian Marois of the National Research Council Canada and his team on their important discovery of a new planet, which will better our understanding of the universe and captivate the imaginations of Canadians young and old.”

The international team included Dr. Marois of the National Research Council Canada's (NRC) Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics in Victoria, British Columbia, as well as astronomers from the University of California Los Angeles, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Lowell Observatory. Images of three new planets were captured at Hawaii's W. M. Keck Observatory in 2008. Dr. Marois wrote about the imaging of these planets in an article published in Nature in November 2008. In a new Nature article, Dr. Marois reports the presence of a fourth planet.

Dr. Marois designed the improved image-processing software that made this new discovery possible. Most of the contributing authors of the recent Nature article were also part of the initial 2008 discovery.

Astrophysics research at the NRC is carried out by the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics. The Institute is a leader in the development of advanced instrumentation and image processing and works to transfer the knowledge and technologies it develops to other disciplines.

Recognized globally for research and innovation, the NRC is a leader in developing Canada's innovative, knowledge-based economy through science and technology.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Gary Toft
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear
Minister of State (Science and Technology)
613-943-7599

Media Relations
Industry Canada
613-943-2502