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Loading contentWatching how things change with time — the oscillations that let us sound the interiors of the Sun and stars, the occultations that reveal sizes, and the study of the variable and transient sky.
Studying change, variability, and stellar interiors.
Applying the same idea to other stars — measuring their tiny brightness oscillations to determine their internal structure, mass, radius, and age. Space photometry from Kepler and TESS turned it into a precision tool.
Reading the Sun's interior from the oscillations that ripple across its surface, as seismologists read the Earth from earthquakes. Helioseismology has mapped the Sun's internal rotation and the depth of its convection zone.
Watching a star wink out as a foreground body passes in front of it. The timing reveals the size and shape of asteroids, the rings of the giant planets, and the atmospheres of distant worlds — even Pluto's.
Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.
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.