If the orbit is edge-on, the star will move towards us and then away from us in its tiny orbit. So far due to the difficulties of these measurements, no extrasolar planets have been detected this way thus far.->Ģ) Doppler Shift (also known as the radial velocity method): This method relies on the fact that the planet and star are both orbiting a shared center of mass. ![]() Even though the change in the star's position is very small due to the tug of the planet, this tiny difference may be detectable through a close study of the star's position over time. The star is always much more massive than the planet, so the center of mass is much closer to the star, and thus the star's orbit is very tiny while the planet's orbit is much more pronounced. We always think of a planet orbiting a star, but what is actually happening is the planet and the star are both orbiting a shared center of mass. !-Ģ) Astrometry: The study of the precise positions of stars on the sky is called astrometry. Although this method has not detected as many planets as other methods, it's potential has increased dramatically over the past few years due to advancements in our technology. Trying to make out the light from an extrasolar planet amidst the light from its parent star is like trying to pick out the light from a firefly hovering next to a searchlight in San Francisco on a foggy night using a telescope in New York City. ![]() Unfortunately, this is very difficult because the planets are swamped by the light from their parent star. Here are the methods that have been used to at least attempt to detect extrasolar planets:ġ) Direct Imaging: This seems the most obvious choice - seeing the planet itself. ![]() This number changes constantly partly due to the fact that our current methods are constantly being improved. As of February 2016, there are nearly 2,000 confirmed exoplanets, but you can always check the most up-to-numbers here.
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