Ground-based detection of super-Earth transit paves way to remote sensing of exoplanets
Monday, December 1, 2014 - 09:20
in Astronomy & Space
For the first time, a team of astronomers - including York University Professor Ray Jayawardhana - have measured the passing of a super-Earth in front of a bright, nearby Sun-like star using a ground-based telescope. The transit of the exoplanet 55 Cancri e is the shallowest detected from the ground yet, and the success bodes well for characterizing the many small planets that upcoming space missions are expected to discover in the next few years.