Of the first exoplanets found, most were detected by:
A)noting the drop in the star's light as the planet transits its disk.
B)imaging them with the HST in the infrared, where they are easier to spot.
C)noting the Doppler shifts of the star as the planet orbits it.
D)receiving radio transmissions from them, much like Jupiter emits.
E)detecting the oxygen in their atmospheres spectroscopically.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Doppler shift method, also known as the radial velocity method, was the primary way the first exoplanets were detected. This method involves observing the periodic changes in a star's doppler shift as an orbiting planet pulls the star towards and away from us. This method allowed for the discovery of the first exoplanet, 51 Pegasi b, in 1995. The first exoplanets were primarily detected through the radial velocity method, which involves observing the Doppler shifts in the star's spectrum as the planet's gravity pulls on it. This method was famously used to discover the first exoplanet, 51 Pegasi b, in 1995. Option A is also a viable method, but it came later and wasn't as commonly used at the time of the first exoplanet discoveries. Options B, D, and E are not commonly used methods for exoplanet detection.

Of the First Exoplanets Found, Most Were Detected By