Hubble image archive
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 diagr...
- Date
- Jan 1, 2000
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-2000-33-1006-image
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.
Credits
NASA, T.M. Brown, D. Charbonneau, R.L. Gilliland, R.W. Noyes, & A. Burrows.Image Details
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | HD 209458 |
Source
Image and source material are credited to the official mission archive linked below.
View on NASA.gov