The gravity of a planet, however weak it might be, is enough to pull its parent star just a little bit out of place as the planet orbits.... Read More | Share it now!

If a planet’s orbit around its star is angled just right, the planet will regularly pass in front of or “transit” its star from our point of view. When it does, the planet will block a tiny bit of the star’s light.... Read More | Share it now!

Taking a picture of an extrasolar planet sounds like the easiest way to discover a planet, but in reality, it is probably the most difficult. Seeing the faint glow of a planet amidst the brilliant glare of its parent star is like spying a firefly buzzing around a huge spotlight from a mile away.... Read More | Share it now!

Even though a planet is so much smaller than its star, it still exerts a tiny gravitational tug on the star as it orbits. When a planet is behind its star (from our point of view), it pulls the star slightly away from us. When the planet is in front of its star, it pulls the star slightly toward us. This causes the star to wobble ever so slightly back and forth. Most planets have been discovered after astronomers caught this wobble.... Read More | Share it now!

Astronomers can discover a planet not by noticing the planet’s gravitational effects on its parent star but rather on a star much farther away.... Read More | Share it now!