The Doppler technique can be used to measure the eccentricity of a planet's orbit by
A)measuring the time it takes for the star's line- of- sight velocity to cycle from peak to peak, and using Newton's version of Kepler's Third law.
B)measuring the amount by which the starlight is reduced when the planet transits.
C)measuring the asymmetries in the velocity curve.
D)measuring the speed at which the star orbits the mutual center- of- mass of the star and planet, and using Newton's theory of gravity.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Doppler technique measures the eccentricity of a planet's orbit by observing the asymmetries in the velocity curve of the star as the planet orbits it. This method relies on detecting variations in the star's radial velocity, which are influenced by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet. The shape of the velocity curve, including its asymmetries, can reveal information about the orbit's eccentricity.

The Doppler Technique Can Be Used to Measure the Eccentricity