A Breakthrough Way to See Distant Planets
Astronomers have created a one-of-a-kind image of a distant exoplanet by zeroing in on the molecules in its atmosphere.
On a cloudless night, stars provide a breathtaking view: hundreds, thousands, of milky-white specks, draped over the Earth like a sparkling quilt. But stars can be annoying for astronomers trying to observe distant planets. Because stars are so luminous, it’s extremely difficult for even the most powerful telescopes to make out the tiny planets around them, says Henriette Schwarz, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz who studies planets outside of our solar system.
“Stars are millions to billions of times brighter than the
