Exoplanet Transit Animations

  • Released Monday, August 6, 2018
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When a planet passes directly between a star and its observer, it dims the star's light by a measurable amount. This animation shows a single planet and the corresponding light curve.

When a planet passes directly between a star and its observer, it dims the star's light by a measurable amount. Larger planets block more light. This animation compares two planets of different sizes and shows the changes in the light curves.

When a planet passes directly between a star and its observer, it dims the star's light by a measurable amount. Light curves get complicated when more planets are transiting a star. The combined light curves can give us the same information as a single one, it just takes more work from astronomers to pick out each planet in the data.

For More Information

See https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/5-ways-to-find-a-planet/

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

This page was originally published on Monday, August 6, 2018.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:46 PM EDT.

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