What percent of star systems have orbits in the right orientation for scientists to find exoplanets through the transit method?
Russell Carr, Pittsfield, New Hampshire
Published: Monday, January 28, 2013
The probability of having an exoplanetò??s orbit oriented along our line of sight so that there is a transit depends on two things: the size of the star and the size (or radius) of the orbit.
Astronomy magazine subscribers can read the full answer for free. Just make sure you're registered with the website.