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Lecture 33 – Extrasolar Planets
Summary / Checklist of the Main Concepts to Understand and Remember
| Methods to Search for Extrasolar Planets | ||
| • | Why is the search for extrasolar planets ("exoplanets") very difficult? Is it possible to see planets by direct imaging of their stars? | |
| • | Doppler shifts: How does the presence of one or more planets affect the motion of a star, and how can we observe it? | |
| • | Transits: How does the eclipse or transit method to detect exoplanets work, and how do we detect the effect? | |
| • | Microlensing: What is lensing, and how is microlensing different from it? How is it used to detect exoplanets? | |
| • | Astrometry: What is it, and how is it used to try to detect the presence of planets? | |
| The Current Status of the Search | ||
| • | Approximately how many planets do we know around other stars? How many stars are known to have multiple planets? Name one example. | |
| • | How do most of the extrasolar planets known compare to the solar ones? How common are extrasolar planets thought to be in our galaxy? | |
| • | Which types of stars are considered more likely to have planets where life may have evolved? | |
| • | What part of the galaxy is considered more promising in the search for possible planets with life on them? | |
Topics from the lecture page and textbook not listed above [or between square brackets]
were not covered in class;
Underlined words indicate that I will expect students to remember a number or a name related to that topic.
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