Planet Lost in the Glare of Binary Stars (illustration)

This illustration depicts a planet partially hidden in the glare of its host star and a nearby companion star. After examining a number of binary stars, astronomers have concluded that Earth-sized planets in many two-star systems might be going unnoticed by transit searches, which look for changes in the light from a star when a planet passes in front of it. The light from the second star makes it more difficult to detect the changes in the host star’s light when the planet passes in front of it.

About the Image

Id:sci21079a
Type: Photographic
Release date: July 29, 2021, 7:00 pm
Related announcements: sci21079 sci21080
Size:5120 x 2880 px