1. What are the four ways astronomers can detect extrasolar planets?
2. Choose one of the four ways and explain it in detail.
3. In your answer to #2 you chose one way that astronomers detect extrasolar planets. Search the Internet to find how many extrasolar planets have been detected using this method.
Radial Velocity
Astrometry
Transit Method
Optical Detection
Astrometry is precise measurement of the position of the stars. Astrometry tells us the extent of the star's motion and from that we can deduce the planet's mass and orbit. This kind of movement can be detected against the backdrop of more distant stars, which appear to be stationary because they are so far away.
There was a planet orbiting the star 61 Cygni that was found using Astrometry.
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