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Exoplanets Discovery and Types
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51 Pegasi b
Discovery Method: Radial Velocity. Characteristics: First exoplanet discovered orbiting a sun-like star, hot Jupiter-type, short orbital period.
Hot Jupiter
Characteristics: Gas giant exoplanets that orbit very close to their stars, have high temperatures, usually discovered by the transit method or radial velocity.
Gliese 581 d
Discovery Method: Radial Velocity. Characteristics: First exoplanet claimed to be in the habitable zone, rocky, potentially could retain liquid water.
GJ 1214 b
Discovery Method: Transit Photometry. Characteristics: Classified as a mini-Neptune or water world, has a thick atmosphere, orbits a red dwarf star.
Ross 128 b
Discovery Method: Radial Velocity. Characteristics: Close by rocky exoplanet, potentially in the habitable zone, orbits a red dwarf star.
Kepler-22b
Discovery Method: Transit Photometry. Characteristics: Located in the habitable zone of its star, larger than Earth, possibly an ocean world.
Proxima Centauri b
Discovery Method: Radial Velocity. Characteristics: Closest exoplanet to Earth, orbiting the nearest star, possible habitable zone candidate.
Mini-Neptune
Characteristics: Smaller version of gas giants with a thick hydrogen-helium atmosphere, too small to develop significant pressure and heat internally like Jupiter.
Astrobiology
Exoplanet Relevance: Study of the potential for life on exoplanets, considers bio-signatures in exoplanet atmospheres, may use upcoming telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope.
Direct Imaging
Discovery Method Characteristics: Directly observes exoplanets by blocking out the star's light, best for detecting planets far from their stars, usually young giant planets still glowing from formation heat.
K2-18b
Discovery Method: Transit Photometry. Characteristics: Possible water vapor in the atmosphere, orbits within its star's habitable zone, discovered by Kepler's K2 mission.
Kepler-452b
Discovery Method: Transit Photometry. Characteristics: Known as Earth's 'cousin', orbits in the habitable zone, older and larger than Earth.
LHS 1140 b
Discovery Method: Transit Photometry and Radial Velocity. Characteristics: Rocky exoplanet in the habitable zone, potentially could have liquid water, relatively close to Earth.
Super-Earth
Characteristics: Type of exoplanet with a mass higher than Earth's but substantially below those of ice giants Uranus and Neptune, potentially rocky, may be in habitable zones.
HD 209458 b
Discovery Method: Transit Photometry and Radial Velocity. Characteristics: First exoplanet to be seen transiting its star, hot Jupiter with detected atmosphere.
TRAPPIST-1e
Discovery Method: Transit Photometry. Characteristics: One of seven Earth-sized exoplanets in the system, in the habitable zone, orbits an ultra-cool dwarf star.
WASP-12b
Discovery Method: Transit Photometry. Characteristics: Extremely close to its host star, 'hot Jupiter', has a very short year of about 1 Earth day.
Radial Velocity
Discovery Method Characteristics: Detects exoplanets by observing Doppler shifts in the spectrum of the host star as it wobbles due to planetary gravitational pull, effective for large, close-in planets.
OGLE-2016-BLG-1195Lb
Discovery Method: Microlensing. Characteristics: An exoplanet similar in mass to Earth, very distant, discovered through gravitational microlensing.
Pulsar Timing
Discovery Method Characteristics: Measures variations in pulsar timing due to gravitational tug of an orbiting exoplanet, effective for detecting planets around pulsars.
Teegarden's Star b
Discovery Method: Radial Velocity. Characteristics: Potentially habitable exoplanet, one of the nearest exoplanets known, orbits within the habitable zone of its red dwarf star.
Habitable Zone
Exoplanet Characteristics: Range of orbits around a star where conditions could allow for liquid water on the planet's surface, crucial for life as we know it.
Transit Photometry
Discovery Method Characteristics: Measures the light curve of a star to detect dips in brightness caused by a planet passing in front of it, allows for size and orbital period estimation.
Beta Pictoris b
Discovery Method: Direct Imaging. Characteristics: A young gas giant planet directly imaged, orbits Beta Pictoris at a large distance, provides insights into planetary formation.
Gravitational Microlensing
Discovery Method Characteristics: Uses the gravitational lens effect of a foreground star to magnify the light of a background star, can detect lower-mass planets.
CoRoT-7b
Discovery Method: Transit Photometry. Characteristics: First confirmed rocky exoplanet to be discovered transiting its star, orbits extremely close and has a very short day.
HD 189733 b
Discovery Method: Transit Photometry & Radial Velocity. Characteristics: Known for its deep azure blue color due to silicate particles in its atmosphere, hot Jupiter with a short orbital period.
55 Cancri e
Discovery Method: Radial Velocity & Transit Photometry. Characteristics: Super-Earth exoplanet that transits its star, extremely high surface temperatures, may have a lava ocean.
K2-288Bb
Discovery Method: Transit Photometry. Characteristics: Located in the habitable zone, orbits a binary star system, discovered by data from Kepler's K2 mission.
KELT-9b
Discovery Method: Transit Photometry. Characteristics: One of the hottest exoplanets known, orbits a blue A-type star, has a comet-like evaporating atmosphere.
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