Exoplanet Discovery Calculator
Explore exoplanet detection methods using the same calculations that led to Nobel Prize discoveries
Exoplanet Detection Methods
Nobel Prize winning method. By measuring the change in wavelength of light from the star, we can infer the mass and orbit of the planet.
Star Parameters
Solar masses (Sun = 1)
Planet Parameters
Jupiter masses (Earth = 0.00315 M♃)
Astronomical Units (Earth-Sun distance = 1 AU)
Real astronomical effects are extremely small. This option amplifies the results by 1,00,000× for educational purposes.
Detection Results
Wavelength Shift Visualization
Note: Effects enhanced by 1,00,000× for visualization. Real values are extremely small and require sophisticated instruments to detect.
Nobel Prize Discovery: 51 Pegasi b
The First Confirmed Exoplanet (1995)
Discoverers: Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz
Method: Radial Velocity (Doppler Shift)
Star: 51 Pegasi (1.11 solar masses)
Planet: Dimidium (0.468 Jupiter masses)
Orbital distance: 0.0527 AU (very close to star)
Orbital period: 4.23 days
Detection Details
Radial velocity amplitude: ~59 m/s
Wavelength shift: ~1.3 × 10⁻⁷ (0.13 parts per million)
Discovery significance: Proved that planets exist around other stars
Nobel Prize: Awarded in 2019 for this groundbreaking discovery
Detection Methods
Radial Velocity
~780 discoveries
Measures Doppler shift in starlight
Transit
~3100 discoveries
Detects dimming during planet transit
Astrometry
~1 discovery
Measures stellar position wobble
Exoplanet Facts
Over 4,100 confirmed exoplanets discovered
First discovery in 1988 (confirmed 2002)
Kepler Space Telescope found thousands
Some are in the "habitable zone"
Closest: Proxima Centauri b (4.2 ly)
Understanding Exoplanet Detection
What are Exoplanets?
Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars outside our solar system. The discovery of exoplanets has revolutionized our understanding of planetary systems and the potential for life elsewhere in the universe.
Why is Detection So Difficult?
- •Planets are much dimmer than their host stars
- •Effects on starlight are extremely small
- •Require precise, sensitive instruments
- •Observations need long time periods
Detection Formulas
Radial Velocity:
v = (2πa/P) × (Mp sin i)/(Ms + Mp)
Transit Depth:
Δf/f = (Rp/Rs)²
Astrometric Wobble:
α = (Mp/Ms) × (a/d)
Variables: v = velocity, a = orbital radius, P = period, Mp = planet mass, Ms = star mass, Rp = planet radius, Rs = star radius, d = distance, i = inclination