Finding Exoplanets

Question 1

While observing the star Kephira, an astronomer sees its brightness drop by about 0.3% for roughly 4 hours before returning to normal, and this dip happens every 27 days. What most likely causes this regular dimming?

Accepted Answer

A planet passes in front of the star once each orbit, blocking a tiny fraction of its light.

Answer

A distant comet briefly moves between the star and Earth, blocking the light.

Answer

Dark spots on the star’s surface rotate into view, making the star look dimmer.

Answer

The telescope’s sensor overheats every few weeks, causing a temporary drop in recorded brightness.

Question 2

Astronomers observe that a distant star’s brightness drops by a tiny amount for a few hours, then returns to normal, and this dimming repeats every 12 days with exactly the same depth each time. Which explanation best describes this pattern?

Accepted Answer

A planet is passing in front of the star, causing a regular transit.

Answer

A nearby asteroid occasionally blocks the star’s light from Earth.

Answer

The star has dark spots that rotate into view on a 12‑day cycle.

Answer

The telescope’s detector overheats every 12 days, reducing the recorded brightness.

Question 3

Astronomer Maya watches the star "Orion‑3" and notices that its brightness drops by about 0.4% for 2.5 hours, then returns to normal, and this dimming repeats exactly every 11 days. Which explanation best describes what is happening according to transit photometry?

Accepted Answer

A planet is passing in front of Orion‑3, briefly blocking a small portion of its light each time.

Answer

The telescope’s sensor is faulty, causing the star’s brightness to appear to dip periodically.

Answer

Orion‑3 is part of a binary star system where the two stars eclipse each other every 11 days.

Answer

A dark starspot on Orion‑3 rotates into view, making the star look dimmer at regular intervals.

Try three questions

While observing the star Kephira, an astronomer sees its brightness drop by about 0.3% for roughly 4 hours before returning to normal, and this dip happens every 27 days. What most likely causes this regular dimming?

Astronomers observe that a distant star’s brightness drops by a tiny amount for a few hours, then returns to normal, and this dimming repeats every 12 days with exactly the same depth each time. Which explanation best describes this pattern?

Astronomer Maya watches the star "Orion‑3" and notices that its brightness drops by about 0.4% for 2.5 hours, then returns to normal, and this dimming repeats exactly every 11 days. Which explanation best describes what is happening according to transit photometry?

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