OK – so this is pretty cool… 

Today it was announced that astromoners have just observed the light directly from a planet outside our solar system.  Previously, scientists have never been able to observe a planet directly (like we can in our own solar system by looking through a telescope) - only indirectly through its eclipse signatures as it moves between us and its own star…

But now, a planet roughly 10 times the size of Jupiter (now that’s huge…) and about 130 light years from Earth has been seen directly…  By looking at the spectrum of this light (both reflected and radiated by the planet), scientists can figure out the type of atmosphere it has.

You can read more about the story here…