Scientists have been able to observe a planet orbiting a star 1,600 light years away in visible light. The planet is roughly the size of Jupiter, so it's a relatively large target, but seeing it directly is still quite an achievement.
Astronomers believe they have confirmed the planet is tidally locked on its parent star, which means the same hemisphere always faces the star, much as the Moon always keeps the same face towards Earth. They came to that conclusion by measuring the temperatures of the two hemispheres of the world. The hemisphere facing the star is a boiling 3,600 degrees F, while the hemisphere turned away from the star is frigidly cold. That dichotomy suggests there is no interaction between the two sides, and that the same side always faces the star.
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