Alien planetary system. Artwork of an extrasolar Earth-like planet (centre right) orbiting its parent star. Another planet (black dot) is seen transit

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Alien planetary system. Artwork of an extrasolar Earth-like planet (centre right) orbiting its parent star. Another planet (black dot) is seen transiting the star. One method for finding alien planets is to detect the small drop in starlight caused by a planet passing in front of its parent star as seen from Earth. This is referred to as a transit. Several existing planet-hunting project use this method. This star is an active one, with sunspots visible and solar flares and prominences erupting from its surface.

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Size: 5138px × 3425px
Photo credit: © DETLEV VAN RAVENSWAAY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: active, activity, alien, artwork, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, detection, earth-, exoplanet, exoplanets, extrasolar, flare, flares, giant, hunting, illustration, indirect, method, methods, orbiting, photometric, planet, planetary, planets, prominence, prominences, rocky, science, solar, space, star, stellar, sunspot, sunspots, system, terran, transit, transiting, universe