Exoplanets trivia
Exoplanets Mini Quiz
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
TRAPPIST-1e orbits what kind of star?
The TRAPPIST-1 star is an ultracool red dwarf, making TRAPPIST-1e's host an M-type star rather than a Sun-like star.
Astronomers first detected Proxima b by:
The method tracks a host star's back-and-forth motion through spectral shifts, while the planet remains too faint to image directly.
For Kepler-16b, "circumbinary" means:
Kepler-16b traces a wide orbit around the two stars in its binary system, rather than orbiting either star alone.
How many known planets orbit the TRAPPIST-1 star?
The seven planets are named TRAPPIST-1b through TRAPPIST-1h after their host star.
Proxima b belongs to which stellar system?
Proxima Centauri is the faint red-dwarf member of Alpha Centauri, near the brighter stars Alpha Centauri A and B.
What type of star hosts Proxima b?
The host star is cooler and far less massive than the Sun, yet frequent flares can strongly affect a nearby planet.
What type of star does Kepler-22b orbit?
A G-type star is Sun-like; Kepler-22 is slightly cooler than the Sun.
What type of planet is Kepler-16b?
Kepler-16b is a cold gas giant about the size of Saturn, so it does not offer a solid surface for a double-sunset view.
How does NASA classify Kepler-22b?
NASA's catalog lists Kepler-22b as a super-Earth, but its rocky, gaseous, or liquid makeup remains uncertain.
How did NASA's Kepler mission detect Kepler-16b?
Kepler-16b crossed in front of its stars and briefly dimmed their light, producing the transit signal Kepler measured.