The universe has yielded a remarkable secret: 6,000 exoplanets, orbiting stars beyond the confines of our solar system. This milestone marks a significant achievement for humanity's fledgling space-faring endeavors. The journey to this discovery began in 1992, when astronomers first detected a pair of planets orbiting a pulsar.
Three years later, the first exoplanet orbiting a main sequence star was discovered. As NASA's Kepler and TESS missions progressed, the number of confirmed exoplanets continued to swell. According to ___ Science, this number has now reached 6,000. While this may seem like a staggering figure, it pales in comparison to the estimated 100 billion exoplanets that may exist within the Milky Way galaxy.
Detecting these celestial bodies is a formidable challenge. The vast distances between stars and their planets make it difficult to gather data. Many exoplanets remain hidden in the glare of their stars or are so distant that they are nearly undetectable. However, advances in technology have enabled scientists to develop innovative methods for detecting exoplanets.
The transit method, employed by Kepler and TESS, measures the decrease in light as an exoplanet passes in front of its star.
The age of exoplanets began in 1992, when astronomers detected a pair of planets orbiting a pulsar. Then, in 1995, astronomers discovered the first ...Here's one of the sources related to this article: See here
No comments:
Post a Comment