Hubble Finds Distant Planet's Host Star

The parent star of one of the most distant planets known has been identified using the Hubble Space Telescope.

The planet itself was discovered indirectly three years ago, exploiting a phenomenon called gravitational microlensing. This is when one star passes in front of another, as seen from Earth. The gravity of the closer star bends the background star's light like a lens, making the background star appear to brighten and then dim over several months as they pass.