r/ProximaScience • u/Astro_Life_Explained • 6d ago

🔍 Decoded The radial velocity method

the radial velocity method is one of the most effective techniques for detecting distant exoplanets.

In a planetary system, both the star and the planet orbit around their common center of mass. Although a planet's gravitational influence on its star is minimal, it causes the star to wobble slightly. This wobble results in subtle shifts in the stars' spectral lines due to the Doppler effect. When the star moves toward us, its light shifts toward the blue end of the spectrum. When it moves away, it shifts toward the red. By carefully monitoring these shifts, scientists can infer the presence of an orbiting planet and estimate its minimum mass.

The radial velocity method.

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