Hubble image archive
Comparison of Transit Paths (Artist's Concept)
This diagram compares two scenarios for how an Earth-sized exoplanet is passing in front of its host star. The bottom path shows the planet just grazing the star. Studying the light from such a transit could lead to an inaccurate estimate of the planet's size, making it seem smal...
- Date
- Nov 16, 2023
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-2023-022-01he8jbtgbj937yxtrmc1t90pe
This diagram compares two scenarios for how an Earth-sized exoplanet is passing in front of its host star. The bottom path shows the planet just grazing the star. Studying the light from such a transit could lead to an inaccurate estimate of the planet's size, making it seem smaller than it really is. The top path shows the optimum geometry, where the planet transits the full disk of the star. Hubble Space Telescope's accuracy can distinguish between these two scenarios, yielding a precise measurement of the planet's diameter.
Credits
Artwork
NASA, ESA, Elizabeth Wheatley (STScI)
Downloads
Source
Image and source material are credited to the official mission archive linked below.
View on NASA.gov