How Are Exoplanets Discovered?

The exoplanets outside our solar system are practically invisible. So, how do astronomers find them?

By Korey Haynes
Feb 19, 2020 3:00 AMFeb 24, 2020 3:43 PM
HD 219134b exoplanet - NASA
This artist's concept shows the silhouette of a rocky planet, dubbed HD 219134b, transiting its star. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

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Exoplanets, by definition, exist outside our solar system, orbiting other stars. That means they’re pretty far away. Telescopes, even top-notch ones like Hubble, can’t image anything as small as a planet outside our solar system. Even Neptune, in our own solar system, is a blurry blue ball when viewed from Earth’s orbit.

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