How does the transit method tell us planetary size, and in what cases can we also learn mass and density? In the transit method, the fraction of light absorbed is the ratio of the planet's area to the star's area, so we can find the physical size of the planet.
What can the transit method tell us about a planet?
The transit method is a photometric method that aims to indirectly detect the presence of one or more exoplanets in orbit around a star. In 1999, the method was used to confirm the existence of HD209458b, a planet that had been discovered almost at the same time by the radial velocity method.
How can you determine the size of a planet through the transit method?
The size of the exoplanet's orbit can be calculated from how long it takes to orbit once (the period), and the size of the planet itself can be calculated based on how much the star's brightness lowered.
Which planetary properties we can measure using transit method?
In the transit method, the fraction of light absorbed is the ratio of the planets area to the stars area, so we can find a physical size of the planet. If we also measure its mass via radial velocity, we can calculate its density.
What is the transit method best for?
Advantages. Transit photometry is currently the most effective and sensitive method for detecting extrasolar planets. It is a particularly advantageous method for space-based observatories that can stare continuously at stars for weeks or months.
What is the transit method of finding planets quizlet?
To use the transit method, we monitor the movement in stars by looking for periodic Doppler shifts. It's best for detecting massive planets that orbit far from their stars, even though distant planets take longer to orbit.
How does the transit method detect exoplanets quizlet?
How does the transit method detect exoplanets? By observing the slight dip in brightness of the central star as the planet transits.
How does the transit method tell us planetary size and in what cases can we also learn mass and density quizlet?
How does the transit method tell us planetary size, and in what cases can we also learn mass and density? In the transit method, the fraction of light absorbed is the ratio of the planet's area to the star's area, so we can find the physical size of the planet.
Which planetary properties we can measure using Doppler method quizlet?
The Doppler technique has the main advantage of being able to detect planets in a wide range of orbits—as long as the orbit is not face-on. Its disadvantage is that it can yield only the planet's mass and orbital properties.
What can we learn from the transit method?
The transit method also makes it possible to study the atmosphere of the transiting planet. When the planet transits the star, light from the star passes through the upper atmosphere of the planet. By studying the high-resolution stellar spectrum carefully, one can detect elements present in the planet's atmosphere.