I had a test question that I would love a comment on. Planets in a planetary system other than the solar system
a) have never been detected
b) have been detected
c) are an impossibility
d) are universally present
I have read about "CoRoT-7b", and just wanted opinions.
Thank you,
PJ
Based on the information available, the correct answer to the test question would be "b) have been detected." Planets in planetary systems other than our solar system have actually been detected. CoRoT-7b, which you mentioned, is one such example. CoRoT-7b is an extrasolar planet or exoplanet that was discovered using the CoRoT satellite. It is located outside our solar system in the constellation Monoceros, approximately 489 light-years away from Earth. So, it is safe to say that planets in other planetary systems have been detected.
To answer the question about whether planets in a planetary system other than the solar system have been detected, we can look at the current state of scientific knowledge and research.
In recent years, advancements in observational techniques and technology have allowed astronomers to detect and confirm the existence of planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets. As of now, thousands of exoplanets have been detected and confirmed by various methods.
These detection methods primarily include the transit method, where a planet passing in front of its host star causes a tiny dip in the star's brightness, and the radial velocity method, which involves measuring the slight periodic wobble of a star due to the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet.
One notable example you mentioned is CoRoT-7b. CoRoT-7b is an exoplanet that was discovered in 2009 by the CoRoT (Convection, Rotation, and Planetary Transits) satellite. It was one of the first rocky exoplanets to be confirmed, with a similar composition to Earth.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is option b) "have been detected." Exoplanets have been observed and confirmed using various detection methods.
It's important to note that the field of exoplanetary research is constantly evolving, and new discoveries are being made regularly. So, staying up to date with the latest research and observations from reliable sources can provide even more information about planets in other planetary systems.