Methods of Exoplanet Detection

_________ is a method of detecting an exoplanet based on observing red and blue shift in the light of a star. The shift in light waves is caused by movement due to gravitational pull of the planet.

• Transit method

• Radial velocity method

• Direct imaging method

• Gravitational microlensing

The beauty of finding exoplanets with the transit method is that the amount of starlight blocked tells you ___

• how far away the planet is

• how big the planet is

• the density of the planet

• the mass of the planet

When a planet passes directly between an observer and the star it orbits, it blocks some of that star's light. For a moment this causes the dimming in the light of the star. This method is called...

• radial velocity

• gravitational microlensing

• direct imaging

• transit

Astronomers take an image of exoplanet(s) by blocking the overwhelming glare from the parent star. This method is called

• radial velocity

• direct imaging

• transit

• astrometry

__________________ happens when a star or planet's gravity focuses the light of another, more distant star, in a way that makes it temporarily seem brighter.

• Exoplanet orbit

• Radial velocity

• Direct imaging

• Gravitational microlensing

Use of other reference stars to determine if a certain star wobbles. This wobble would be caused by presence of a planet. This method is called...

• Gravitational Microlensing

• Direct Imaging

• Transit

• Astrometry

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Gravitational microlensing is an astronomical phenomenon due to the gravitational lens effect. It can be used to detect a range of different sized objects. Gravitational lensing is caused by....

• warping of the fabric of space-time due to presence of mass

• magnification of star light using lenses placed into the telescope

• use of telescopes based in Earth's orbit to collect maximum starlight

• presence of a habitable zone, where water can take on a liquid state.

During a star's wobble, the light emitted by the star and detected on Earth shows shifting that can be summarized as...

• Red-shifted when the star wobbles towards Earth, and blue-shifted when the star wobbles away.

• Blue-shifted when the star wobbles towards Earth, and red-shifted when the star wobbles away.

• Red-shifted when the star wobbles sideways, and blue-shifted when the star wobbles away.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS4-1

NGSS.HS-PS4-3

The light-curve above shows...

• a solar flare

• a binary star system

• a planet transit

• two planet transit

The light-curve above shows...

• a solar flare

• a binary star system

• a planet transit

• two planet transit