Characterization method
Transmission Spectroscopy
The workhorse of exoplanet atmospheres: as a planet transits its star, a sliver of starlight filters through the ring of atmosphere at its edge, and the gases there imprint absorption features that vary with wavelength. Comparing the planet's apparent size across a spectrum reveals which molecules — water, carbon dioxide, methane — are present. JWST has made this a routine, high-precision technique.
Highlights
- ›Reads an atmosphere from starlight filtered through it during transit
Methods, worlds & facilities
Across exoplanet science
Knowledge connections
- Associated withTransit Method
- Associated withSpectroscopy
- Associated withJames Webb Space Telescope
- Associated withAtmospheric Retrieval
- Associated withAtmospheric Retrieval
- Associated withClouds & Hazes
- Associated withAriel (exoplanet mission)
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.