Which exoplanet was the first comfirmed discovery?

[kop442000]

Hi everyone.

I am trying to find out which is the first comfirmed discovery of an exoplanet. When I look on the web, I find some sources telling me it was the one found around peg51 by Michel Mayor and team in 1995, but others saying it was the one found around pulsar PSR B1257+12 in 1992.

Does anyone know for sure? Or know why there is disagreement?

Many thanks for any replies posted.
Kop442000

 

[Kurdt]

Their parent star being a binary pulsar invites debate over the origin of the planets. They are believed to have formed from a proto-planetary disk formed after the pulsar was created (Banit, M. et. Al., Astrophysical Journal, 415, pp 779-796, 1993.). More recently a third planet was discovered round the pulsar and the suggestion that they are second generation planets has been cast into doubt. Now there is the suggestion they could be the original planets that survived the death of their parent star (Wolszczan, A. et. Al., Astrophysical Journal, 540, pp 41, 2000.), in which case they are very interesting in terms of extrapolating current theories beyond the life of the more massive stars.

But essentially the fact that they are objects orbiting a dead star is the source of the debate. Its debatable how useful it is in helping design models of planetary formation in young stars.

 

[kop442000]

thank you for you reply!