astronomy

List of exoplanets detected by microlensing

List of exoplanets detected by microlensing is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of exoplanets detected by microlensing rather than just read about it. In short: This is a list of exoplanets detected by gravitational microlensing. The phenomenon results in the background star's light being warped around a foreground object, causing a distorted image.

Key takeaways

List of exoplanets detected by microlensing belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect List of exoplanets detected by microlensing to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of List of exoplanets detected by microlensing from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

This is a list of exoplanets detected by gravitational microlensing. The phenomenon results in the background star's light being warped around a foreground object, causing a distorted image. If the foreground object is a star with an orbiting planet, we would observe an abnormally bright image. By comparing the luminosity and light distortion of the background star to theoretical models, we can estimate the planet's mass and the distance from its star. The least massive planet detected by microlensing is KMT-2020-BLG-0414Lb, which has a mass about 0.960 times the mass of earth, or OGLE-2016-BLG-0007Lb, which has a mass about 1.32 times the mass of earth. The widest separation between a planet and a star is OGLE-2008-BLG-092Lb, which is 15 AU; the shortest separation is KMT-2020-BLG-0414Lc, which is 0.12 AU. There are 9 known multi-planetary systems detected by microlensing, all of which have two planets.

List Yellow rows denote the members of multi-planet systems. Green rows denote the members of multi-star systems.

Candidate rogue planets A number of candidate rogue planets have been detected by microlensing.

Unconfirmed detections Some microlensing events, such as MACHO-98-BLG-35 and PA-99-N2, suggest the possible presence of a planetary companion to the lensing star, but this is unconfirmed. Since microlensing relies on a one-time chance alignment, it is likely not possible to confirm these detections. In some cases, a planetary interpretation for a microlensing event was proposed, but has been disproven. MACHO-1997-BLG-41 was initially interpreted as a binary star system orbited by a circumbinary planet, but a different model with two stars and no planet was later found to be a better fit to the data. Similarly, OGLE-2013-BLG-0723L was initially interpreted as a binary system of a star and a brown dwarf, with a low-mass planet orbiting the brown dwarf, but a model where the system consists of two low-mass stars with no planet was found to be a better fit to the data.

See also Lists of exoplanets Method of exoplanet detection using microlensing

Notes

References

External links "Exoplanets detected by microlensing". Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia. 1995. Retrieved 2011-01-20. "Exoplanets Data Explorer". Retrieved 2011-01-20.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of exoplanets detected by microlensing

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of exoplanets detected by microlensing claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of exoplanets detected by microlensing before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of exoplanets detected by microlensing ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of exoplanets detected by microlensing

In research: List of exoplanets detected by microlensing appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of exoplanets detected by microlensing in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of exoplanets detected by microlensing is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Exoplanets detected by microlensing, Lists of exoplanets, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of exoplanets detected by microlensing outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “List of exoplanets detected by microlensing” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study List of exoplanets detected by microlensing in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what List of exoplanets detected by microlensing means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain List of exoplanets detected by microlensing out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is List of exoplanets detected by microlensing in simple terms?

This is a list of exoplanets detected by gravitational microlensing. The phenomenon results in the background star's light being warped around a foreground object, causing a distorted image.

Why does List of exoplanets detected by microlensing matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of exoplanets detected by microlensing?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of exoplanets detected by microlensing.