AST101H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Blueshift, Minimum Mass, Observation
18 Apr 2018
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AST101H1 Full Course Notes
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A planet orbiting a star other than the sun. Very faint compare to, and typically are very close to, their parent star. Through a standard telescope, this makes them essentially invisible --> hard to see. In a few cases, we have been able o block out the bright light from the parent star, revealing the faint surround planets. However, the vast majority of exoplanets have been found by indirect methods. One celestial object passes in front of another from our point of view --> called transit. Transits occur only if the planet"s orbit happens to be edge on as viewed from. Transits can be brief (an hour or two) - need to be watched at the right time. Dip in light curve can be tiny --> need very precise measurements. Transit method easily reveals multiple planets around the same star: a solar system. Transits are when the exoplanet passes in front of its parent star.
