A Planet's Telltale Signature
This diagram illustrates how a planet passing in front of a star blocks a tiny amount of starlight. In this case, it's a planet crossing the face of a nearby star called HD 209458, located 153 light-years from Earth in the constellation Pegasus. The dip in the center of the diagram represents a 1.7 percent drop in starlight over a three-hour period as the planet moves across the star's disk. By watching this eclipse, astronomers can confirm a planet's existence.
Credit:
About the Image
NASA press release
NASA caption
NASA caption
| Id: | opo0033d |
| Type: | Chart |
| Release date: | 31 October 2000, 07:00 |
| Size: | 481 x 365 px |
About the Object
| Name: | HD 209458 |
| Type: | • Milky Way : Star : Circumstellar Material : Planetary System |
| Distance: | 150 light years |
