Tag: transit method
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Could TRAPPIST-1’s Seven Worlds Host Moons? Exploring Exomoons in a Tight System
Introduction: A compact constellation around a red dwarf TRAPPIST-1 has long fascinated astronomers and stargazers alike. Nestled about 40 light-years away, this compact system features seven Earth-sized planets orbiting a dim red dwarf star in a remarkably tight arrangement. With planets packed closer to their star than Mercury is to the Sun, the big question…
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Exoplanet Detection: How Astronomers Find Planets
Introduction to Exoplanet Detection For decades, the idea of planets orbiting stars other than the Sun was science fiction. Today, astronomers routinely detect exoplanets—planets outside our solar system—using a toolbox of techniques that reveal the presence and properties of distant worlds. Each method leverages a unique aspect of how planets interact with their star or…
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How Astronomers Discover Planets Beyond Our Solar System
Understanding the Challenge of Detecting Distant Worlds For centuries, humans wondered if planets orbit other stars. Today, astronomers routinely detect exoplanets—planets outside our solar system—using a toolkit of clever, indirect methods. These methods rely on how a planet’s gravity or light interaction with its star subtly alters the star’s behavior from Earth. While we can’t…
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How Astronomers Find Planets Beyond Our Solar System: A Look at Exoplanet Discovery Methods
What Is an Exoplanet and Why Finding Them Matters Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars outside our solar system. The hunt for these worlds helps scientists understand planet formation, the diversity of planetary systems, and the potential for life beyond Earth. Over the past few decades, astronomers have developed multiple complementary techniques to detect exoplanets,…
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How to Discover a Planet: From 51 Pegasi b to Exoplanets
Introduction: The moment that changed our view of the cosmos On October 6, 1995, at a scientific meeting in Florence, Italy, two Swiss astronomers announced a finding that would forever alter our understanding of the universe: a planet orbiting a star other than the Sun. Michel Mayor and his Ph.D. student Didier Queloz, working at…
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How to Discover a Planet Beyond Our Solar System: From 51 Pegasi b to Modern Exoplanet Hunting
Introduction: The Groundbreaking Start of Exoplanet Discovery On October 6, 1995, a watershed moment in astronomy occurred at a scientific meeting in Florence, Italy. Michel Mayor and his Ph.D. student Didier Queloz announced the first planet orbiting a sun-like star outside our solar system: 51 Pegasi b. This discovery proved that planetary systems beyond our…
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From 51 Pegasi b to Earth-like Worlds: How We Discover Planets Beyond Our Solar System
How the first exoplanet was found On October 6, 1995, a pivotal discovery reshaped our view of the cosmos. Swiss astronomers Michel Mayor and his Ph.D. student Didier Queloz announced the detection of a planet orbiting a star beyond our Sun. The star was 51 Pegasi, about 50 light years away in the Pegasus constellation,…
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The Epic Hunt for an Earth Twin: How Exoplanet Hunters Paved the Way to an Earthlike World
The first spark: how a ‘hot Jupiter’ changed everything On 6 October 1995, a momentous discovery reshaped our view of the cosmos. Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz announced the detection of a planet orbiting a sun-like star outside our Solar System. The star, 51 Pegasi, hosts 51 Pegasi b—a giant gas planet orbiting astonishingly close…
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Chasing the Earth Twin: The Legacy of the First Exoplanet Discovery
The day the cosmos opened a new chapter On 6 October 1995, the astronomy world shifted forever. Swiss astronomers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz announced the first planet found orbiting a Sun-like star: 51 Pegasi b, a gas giant that completed an orbit in just over four days. The discovery, made with the Elodie spectrograph…
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The epic hunt for an Earth twin: how exoplanet explorers chase a planetary doppelgänger
Introduction: a quest sparked by a tiny wobble The search for a planet that mirrors Earth in size, warmth, and potential for life has been a long, winding journey. It began with a radical breakthrough in 1995 when Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz announced the discovery of a planet orbiting a Sun-like star outside our…