Table of Contents
- 1 What tool made it possible to discover additional planets?
- 2 How were planets discovered before telescopes?
- 3 What exoplanets have been discovered?
- 4 What tools can be used to measure the motion of planets in our solar system?
- 5 How many planets have been discovered using astrometry?
- 6 How did the Kepler telescope detect the planets?
- 7 What did Galileo Galilei discover about Jupiter’s moons?
- 8 What was the name of the NASA spacecraft that explored the outer planets?
What tool made it possible to discover additional planets?
Astronomers have discovered two planets using NASA’s Kepler telescope: a super Earth inferno and its Neptune-like companion. The knowledge and tools NASA has developed to study life on Earth will be a great asset to the study of planets beyond our solar system.
How were planets discovered before telescopes?
Until the development of the telescope in the early 17th Century, all astronomical observations were made with the naked eye. By using measuring instruments, astronomers recorded the positions of the planets against the background of stars.
Which device was first used to help scientists learn about planets and stars?
When Galileo Galilei pointed a new invention called the telescope at Jupiter, he made a startling discovery. The planet had four “stars” surrounding it.
What exoplanets have been discovered?
Summary Counts
| All Exoplanets | 4551 |
|---|---|
| Confirmed Planets Discovered by Kepler | 2402 |
| Kepler Project Candidates Yet To Be Confirmed | 2361 |
| Confirmed Planets Discovered by K2 | 476 |
| K2 Candidates Yet To Be Confirmed | 889 |
What tools can be used to measure the motion of planets in our solar system?
An orrery is used to demonstrate the motion of the planets, while a mechanical device used to predict eclipses and transits is called an astrarium. An orrery should properly include the Sun, the Earth and the Moon (plus optionally other planets).
What tool do scientists use to compare stars and planets?
spectroscopy
The most common method astronomers use to determine the composition of stars, planets, and other objects is spectroscopy. Today, this process uses instruments with a grating that spreads out the light from an object by wavelength. This spread-out light is called a spectrum.
How many planets have been discovered using astrometry?
Confirmed Exoplanet Statistics
| Discovery Method | Number of Planets |
|---|---|
| Astrometry | 1 |
| Imaging | 54 |
| Radial Velocity | 896 |
| Transit | 3440 |
How did the Kepler telescope detect the planets?
Kepler detected planets by observing transits, or tiny dips in the brightness of a star that occur when a planet crosses in front of the star. The spacecraft was basically a single instrument — a specially designed 3-foot (1-meter) diameter aperture telescope and image sensor array — with a spacecraft built around it.
Who was the first person to discover the planets around the Sun?
Kepler for the first time described the motion of the planets around the Sun in what became the three laws of planetary motion. When Galileo Galilei pointed a new invention called the telescope at Jupiter, he made a startling discovery. The planet had four “stars” surrounding it.
What did Galileo Galilei discover about Jupiter’s moons?
When Galileo Galilei pointed a new invention called the telescope at Jupiter, he made a startling discovery. The planet had four “stars” surrounding it. Within days, Galileo figured out that these “stars” were actually moons orbiting Jupiter – the first visible proof Copernicus was right.
What was the name of the NASA spacecraft that explored the outer planets?
The first of the NASA’s twin Voyagers – Voyager 2 – lifts off on an epic tour of the outer solar system. The mission used twin spacecraft to take advantage of a once every 175 years geometric arrangement of the outer planets which allowed them to visit Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.