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Astronomy

Using the Transit Method to Find and Characterize Exoplanet Atmospheres

Quick fact

The Hubble Space Telescope first detected an exoplanet atmosphere in 2001, and since then, the transit method has become the most successful way to find exoplanets, with over 3,000 confirmed worlds.

Why this is interesting

Have you ever noticed a streetlight dim slightly when a bird flies in front of it? That tiny flicker is exactly the principle used to discover planets thousands of light-years away—and even to sniff out what's in their skies.