Exoplanet's Methane Detected from Hawaii

A telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii has detected fluorescent infrared emission coming from methane in the atmosphere of a giant, Jupiter-like extrasolar planet. This is the first time that such a measurement has been made from Earth's surface -- the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes have been necessary to make such discoveries in the past. The Mauna Kea telescope can observe IR spectral regions not possible with the space-based telescopes.