Detection method

Transit Method

Detecting the tiny dip in a star's brightness as a planet passes in front of it.

Exoplanets

How it works

When a planet crosses the face of its star from our viewpoint, it blocks a small fraction of the light. The depth gives the planet's size and the timing gives its orbit.

Strengths and limitations

Only works for systems aligned edge-on to us, and favours large, close-in planets.

Example exoplanets

Planet	Class	Host	Radius (R⊕)	Period (d)	Distance (ly)
AU Mic bTransit · 2020	Mini-Neptune	AU Mic	4.79	8.4634	32
AU Mic cTransit · 2021	Mini-Neptune	AU Mic	2.79	18.859	32
GJ 1132 bTransit · 2015	Terrestrial planet	GJ 1132	1.19	1.6289	41
GJ 1214 bTransit · 2009	Mini-Neptune	GJ 1214	2.73	1.5804	48
GJ 341 bTransit · 2025	Terrestrial planet	GJ 341	0.88	7.5769	34
GJ 357 bTransit · 2019	Terrestrial planet	GJ 357	1.2	3.9306	31
GJ 367 bTransit · 2021	Terrestrial planet	GJ 367	0.7	0.3219	31
GJ 806 bTransit · 2023	Terrestrial planet	GJ 806	1.33	0.9263	39
GJ 9827 bTransit · 2017	Terrestrial planet	GJ 9827	1.44	1.209	97
GJ 9827 cTransit · 2017	Terrestrial planet	GJ 9827	1.13	3.6481	97
GJ 9827 dTransit · 2017	Super-Earth	GJ 9827	1.98	6.2018	97
Gliese 12 bTransit · 2024	Terrestrial planet	Gliese 12	0.93	12.7614	40

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