AN ENIGMATIC POINT-LIKE FEATURE WITHIN THE HD 169142 TRANSITIONAL DISK

We report the detection of a faint point-like feature possibly related to ongoing planet-formation in the disk of the transition disk star HD 169142. The point-like feature has a Delta mag(L) similar to 6.4, at a separation of similar to 0 ''.11 and position angle similar to 0 degrees. Given its lack of an H or K-S counterpart despite its relative brightness, this candidate cannot be explained by purely photospheric emission and must be a disk feature heated by an as yet unknown source. Its extremely red colors make it highly unlikely to be a background object, but future multi-wavelength follow up is necessary for confirmation and characterization of this feature.