First Ground-based Near-infrared Direct Detection of an Extrasolar Planet

The WHT makes the first ever ground-based near-infrared detection of an extrasolar planet. TrES-3b, as it is called, is just a little larger than Jupiter, yet orbits around its
parent star much closer than Mercury does, making it a "hot jupiter". As the planet disappears behind the star, the light coming from the whole system decreases because of the absence of the planet's light,
allowing astronomers precise measurements of the light emitted by the planet. This way of detecting direct light coming from an extrasolar planet is also referred as the secondary eclipse method.