Landscape of an alien world Computer artwork of the view from the surface of a alien extrasolar planet orbiting the star Beta Pictoris orange A moon is also seen at upper centre In it was announced that possible evidence for the existence of a planet around the star Beta Pictoris had been discovered Fluctuations were noted which may have been caused by a planet passing in front of it Beta Pictoris light years from Earth is known to be surrounded by a large disc of gas and silicate dust and is thought to be a solar system in the making