Exoplanets: Worlds Beyond Our Solar System

What is an exoplanet and how does it differ from a dwarf planet?

• An exoplanet orbits a star outside our solar system, while a dwarf planet orbits within our solar system.

• An exoplanet is smaller than a dwarf planet.

• An exoplanet is a type of star.

• An exoplanet is a moon of a dwarf planet.

Which of the following is NOT a property of exoplanets?

• A) They can be larger than Jupiter.

• B) They are always rocky.

• C) They can have atmospheres.

• D) They orbit stars outside our solar system.

Explain the methods used to identify exoplanets. One method is the transit method, which involves observing a star's brightness. What happens to the brightness when an exoplanet passes in front of it?

• It increases.

• It decreases.

• It remains the same.

• It fluctuates randomly.

Make a connection between the habitable zone of our solar system and the existence of life. The habitable zone is the region around a star where conditions might be right for life. Which planet in our solar system is in the habitable zone?

• Mercury

• Venus

• Earth

• Mars

What is an exoplanet?

• A) A planet within our solar system

• B) A planet beyond our solar system

• C) A star

• D) A comet

The first confirmed detection of terrestrial-mass exoplanets was in ____.

• 1985

• 1992

• 2000

• 2010

Which planet is 47% less massive but 50% larger than Jupiter?

• 51 Pegasi b

• Mars

• Venus

• Saturn

51 Pegasi b orbits its host star every __ days.

• 2

• 4

• 6

• 8

Which of the following methods involves watching for a wobble to find a planet?

• Transit

• Radial velocity

• Direct imaging

• Astrometry

Method of finding a planet by searching for a shadow is called ______.

• Direct imaging

• Gravitational microlensing

• Transit

• Astrometry