radial velocity method
A method for indirectly detecting exoplanets by measuring periodic Doppler shifts in a star's spectrum to infer the slight wobble induced by a planet's gravitational pull on the star.
Timeline (last 90 days)
The first exoplanet around a main-sequence star, 51 Pegasi b, was discovered in 1995 and confirmed through the radial velocity method.
The radial velocity method infers the tiny wobble of a star caused by a planet's gravitational pull by measuring the periodic Doppler shift in the star's spectrum.
The radial velocity method more easily finds massive, short-period planets, while the transit method has strict requirements on orbital inclination.
Astronomers detect exoplanets primarily through two indirect methods: the transit method and the radial velocity method.
All Facts (4)
The first exoplanet around a main-sequence star, 51 Pegasi b, was discovered in 1995 and confirmed through the radial velocity method.
50%UnverifiedThe radial velocity method infers the tiny wobble of a star caused by a planet's gravitational pull by measuring the periodic Doppler shift in the star's spectrum.
50%UnverifiedThe radial velocity method more easily finds massive, short-period planets, while the transit method has strict requirements on orbital inclination.
50%UnverifiedAstronomers detect exoplanets primarily through two indirect methods: the transit method and the radial velocity method.
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