Astrocombing for exoplanets
Astronomers plan to use a new precise ruler to search for earthlike planets.
Published:
April 27, 2009
 An orbiting planet tugs on its star, which induces a wobble in the star’s motion. The star’s spectral lines shift to the blue as the star approaches and to the red as it recedes.
Photo by Astronomy: Roen Kelly
Astronomers use spectrographs to watch for subtle wobbles in a star's spectra as a planet orbits it. The planet pulls on its star, and as the planet orbits toward Earth, the star's light wavelengths compress and become blueshifted. As the planet moves away from Earth, the star's spectra is stretched, or redshifted.
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