How do we know so much about planets that are thousands of not millions of light years away eg their weight, temperature, mass etc
In: Physics
We can learn a lot from the light of the star and the planet that reaches us!
If we can detect how much the star moves because of the planet, we can figure out the mass.
If we can see how much of the star’s light is blocked when the planet passes in front of it, we can figure out the radius. If we do that for different types of light, we can even figure out things about the planet’s composition and temperature
And that’s just the beginning!
By looking at them. Their color indicates their temperature (blue stars are the hottest, yellow and red are cooler). We can guess their speed by detecting a change in the wavelength they emit, just like a radar speed detector for cars. If the wave length is shifting a lot, it indicates that planets are turning around the star.
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