{"id":11133,"date":"2016-01-25T09:00:52","date_gmt":"2016-01-25T14:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?p=11133"},"modified":"2016-10-23T12:00:31","modified_gmt":"2016-10-23T16:00:31","slug":"exoplanets-discovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/exoplanets-discovery\/11133\/","title":{"rendered":"Exoplanets: discovery and observation"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is an exoplanet? A common definition is \u2018an Earth-like planet.\u2019 However popular this definition may be, the true definition of an exoplanet is \u2018any planet orbiting a star other than Sun.\u2019
\n\"Exoplanets:<\/a><\/p>\n

What is an exoplanet?<\/h3>\n

In order to be validated as a planet, a stellar body should conform to three criteria. First, it should orbit a star. If it is a star other than the Sun, this stellar body is an exoplanet. However, if we take a look at our Solar system, there are many other object rotating around the Sun like the asteroid belt.<\/p>\n

That fact leads us to the second criterium: the mass of a planet should be less than the mass of a star, but more than the mass of an asteroid, so it\u2019s massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity.<\/p>\n

The third and final criterium: there should be no other stellar bodies on the same orbit, as the planet\u2019s. This notion was the reason that Pluto was lowered in its rank back in 2006 and is now considered a dwarf planet.<\/p>\n

There are numerous stars and thus one might think that there should be a lot of exoplanets out there. As of today, scientists are aware only of roughly 2,000. Researchers started to observe exoplanets only quite recently \u2013 just about 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

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[Video:] 20 years of searching for exoplanets. Watch the story of the pioneers.https:\/\/t.co\/O6nGGFOkKb<\/a>#K2SciCon<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/g4ViX8h6js<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NASA Exoplanets (@NASAExoplanets) November 5, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n