New article on Inoreader

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKv3UT62zZgBWeZ4j8gpkjgExploring Planets in Distant Space - Flight beyond the solar system - Space Science Documentary -

How does one detect a planet-sized object orbiting a star dozens of lightyears away? The magnitude of the task becomes clear if we consider that even stars appear as nothing more than pinpoints of light when viewed with even the largest telescopes. Planets have only a fraction of the mass of a star, and as a result the nuclear fusion reaction that makes stars “burn” does not take place. Planets, as a result, are very small and very dark compared to stars, which in itself would make them very difficult to detect from Earth. Add to that the fact that these inconspicuous objects are inevitably found right next to the stars they orbit, and the task of observing them becomes well nigh impossible.

Astronomers, however, are nothing if not ingenious. Since the planets cannot be observed directly, the planet hunters decided instead to observe stars, and look for the minute effects that orbiting planets can have upon them. Astronomers have been looking for some these effects since the dawn of the 20th century, but only in the past ten years have instruments become sensitive enough to finally detect them without ambiguity.