Exoplanets, or planets beyond our Solar System, are discovered using a variety of techniques. The transit method detects periodic dimming of a star’s light when a planet passes in front of it. The radial velocity method measures tiny shifts in a star’s spectrum caused by the gravitational tug of an orbiting planet. The gravitational microlensing method relies on the bending of light from a background star due to a planet’s gravitational field. Numerous other techniques also exist, ensuring we have multiple ways to find these alien worlds. A team of astronomers, eager for new methods, has uncovered a rather unusual but successful approach.
