Diagram of a Planet Transiting in Front of Its Host Star (IMAGE)

Royal Astronomical Society

Diagram of a Planet Transiting in Front of Its Host Star

Caption

Diagram of a planet (e.g. the Earth, blue) transiting in front of its host star (e.g. the sun, yellow). Left: The lower black curve shows the brightness of the star noticeably dimming over the transit event, when the planet is blocking some of the light from the star. Right: How the transit zone of a solar system planet is projected out from the sun. The observer on the green exoplanet is situated in the transit zone and can therefore see transits of the Earth.

Credit

Credit: R. Wells

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