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Credit & Copyright: Ethan Kruse
(University of Washington)
Explanation:
The exoplanet hunting Kepler
mission's total for candidate and
confirmed multiple
planet systems stands at 1,705 worlds in orbit around 685 distant stars.
Put
all of those exoplanet orbits on the same scale
and follow
their relative orbital motions to get
Kepler Orrery IV.
To make the planets visible, their sizes
aren't shown to scale.
But orbits of the planets in
the Solar
System (dashed lines)
are included to scale in the hypnotic video.
Of course, Kepler uses planetary transits to detect
exoplanets,
looking for a slight dimming of light
as the planet crosses in front of its star.
In the time compressed video,
Kepler's multiplanet system orbits are all oriented
to put observed transits at the three o'clock position.
The dervish-like movements highlight a stark contrast
between most Kepler-discovered exoplanetary systems and our own.
Planning
an interstellar vacation?
Be sure to check the scale at the upper left first.
The color code indicates a planet's estimated
equilibrium surface temperature
based on its orbit size and
parent star.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: kepler - transit
Publications with words: kepler - transit
See also: