4.07 Astronomy Lab
.pdf
School
K¹² International Academy**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
ASTRONOMY 12
Subject
Astronomy
Date
Dec 16, 2024
Pages
1
Uploaded by JusticeWorld12321
1. Explain what a transit is and why transits were being pursued by theKepler Mission.A transit is when a planet crosses in front of its parent star, andblocks a little bit of the light from it for a bit. Transits were pursuedby the Kepler Mission to find planets in other solar systems.2. What information could you gather about a star if its light curve hadmultiple symmetrical depths of varying sizes?There’s most likely multiple planets orbiting the star.3. What were two important data points in the light curve of star KIC8462852 that confused astronomers between May 2009 andFebruary 2013? Which of these seem the most confusing to you?Why?1) A sharp drop in brightness by about 20% in a few days.2) Another sharp drop in brightness by about 60% in a few hours.The 2nd data point seems most confusing because what wouldcause the brightness of a star to decrease as much as 60% in suchlittle time?4. Based on the knowledge you gained from the video and the data thatyou’ve seen, what do you think is creating the data that Keplergathered? Explain your answer.I don’t really know what’s creating the data the Kepler gathered,but I do think the theory of the Alien Megastructures could berelevant. Or possibly very large groups of planets, though that maynot be possible giving the laws of physics and gravity.
