GAINESVILLE, Fla., Sept. 30 (UPI) -- U.S. astronomers say they used multiple observatories earlier this year to observe a bizarre, Jupiter-sized planet with a highly eccentric orbit.
University of Florida astronomers said 25 scientists at observatories from Maine to Hawaii tried to observe planet HD 80606b, located nearly 200 light years from Earth, eclipse the star it orbits on the night of June 4. The eclipse, which occurs every 111 days, lasts nearly 12 hours.
Because of clouds at some sites, just six observatories completed observations of more than half the eclipse.
The University of Florida astronomers said they successfully observed the planet eclipse its star with the Rosemary Hill Observatory in Bronson, Fla., and with an observatory in Indiana.
While most planets have circular orbits around their stars, the astronomers said the orbit of the newly discovered planet is a highly-elongated ellipse that might be caused by gravitational forces from a companion star. They also said their discovery that the planet's orbit is not aligned with the star's rotation is consistent with the theory of a nearby companion star.
The findings appear in the Astrophysical Journal.
