Exoplanets Trivia

Explore exoplanets trivia with 42 supporting Trivia Castle questions, related topics, and a direct link into the game.

42 approved Trivia Castle questions contribute to this hub.

Try a few Exoplanets questions

Astronomers using the transit method look for a planet to do what?

Answer: Pass in front of its star

Bonus fact: A transit causes a small, temporary dip in the star's observed brightness.

What does the depth of an exoplanet transit most directly help astronomers estimate?

Answer: The planet's size

Bonus fact: A larger planet blocks a greater fraction of its star's light.

Which space telescope famously used the transit method to discover thousands of exoplanet candidates?

Answer: Kepler

Bonus fact: Kepler continuously monitored large numbers of stars for periodic brightness dips.

Kepler-22b is what kind of object?

Answer: An exoplanet

Bonus fact: It orbits a star similar to the Sun about 600 light-years away.

Why did Kepler-22b attract attention when its discovery was announced?

Answer: It orbits in its star's habitable zone

Bonus fact: The planet receives an amount of stellar energy that makes liquid water conceivable under some conditions.

Which space telescope discovered Kepler-22b?

Answer: Kepler Space Telescope

Bonus fact: NASA's Kepler mission was designed specifically to find planets by watching stars dim during transits.

Transit method
4 questions