AST 2002 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: 30 Foot Fall, Doppler Spectroscopy, Orbital Period
Document Summary
Extrasolar planets are possible planets that lay beyond the solar system that could orbit stars (suns) Observing the motion of a star to detect the subtle gravitational tugs of orbiting planets. O(cid:271)ser(cid:448)i(cid:374)g (cid:272)ha(cid:374)ges to a star"s (cid:271)right(cid:374)ess that o(cid:272)(cid:272)ur (cid:449)he(cid:374) o(cid:374)e of its pla(cid:374)ets passes in front of the star as viewed from earth: gravitational tugs. All objects in a star system orbit the system"s (cid:272)e(cid:374)ter of (cid:373)ass, or balance point. We can search for planets in other star systems by carefully watching for the tiny orbital motion of a star around the center of mass of its star system: the astrometric method. The astrometric method is the measurement of the stars. Uses measurements of stellar positions in the sky to look for the slight motion caused by orbiting planets. If a star wobbles, there is most likely an unseen planet: the doppler method.
