I await our new overlords from Fomalhaut b

*
This is pretty big news in the world I inhabit. The false-color image below documents the first direct photographic observation of a planet circling a star outside our home solar system. The planet, thought to be a ringed gas giant along the lines of Jupiter, orbits Fomalhaut (pronounced foam-uh-low, I think). It's located about 25 light years distant from good old Sol. All previously announced planetary discoveries outside our solar system have been made through supportable inferences based on astronomical spectral observations. (I'm oversimplifying here because I'm currently too tired not to.)



The planet has been named Fomalhaut b, although I have little doubt that it will some day be named after the prime contractor for the Hubble Space Telescope, which was used to make the discovery. An informed interpretation of the image can be found here.

I first became aware of Fomalhaut in one of the more obscure Philip K. Dick novels, but I can't remember which one at the moment. The Dickian future continues to take shape approximately on schedule. This discovery is really cool, and big, big news. I have spoken. Long Live StuporMundi.