We reach more than 65,000 registered users in Dec!! Register Now
Citizen scientists discover five-planet system
- January 15, 2018
- 375 Views
- 0 Likes
- 0 Comment
In its search for exoplanets -- planets outside of our solar system -- NASA's Kepler telescope trails behind Earth, measuring the brightness of stars that may potentially host planets. The instrument identifies potential planets around other stars by looking for dips in the brightness of the stars that occur when planets cross in front of, or transit, them. Typically, computer programs flag the stars with these brightness dips, then astronomers look at each one and decide whether or not they truly could host a planet candidate.
Cite This Article as
No tags found for this post