Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Surface Mapping of Earth-like Exoplanets using Single Point Light Curves
Published on: May 10, 2020
Fainter and closer: finding planets by symmetry breaking
1Physics Department, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel. eribak@physics.technion.ac.il
Abstract:
Imaging of planets is very difficult, due to the glare from their nearby, much brighter suns. Static and slowly-evolving aberrations are the limiting factors, even after application of adaptive optics. The residual speckle pattern is highly symmetrical due to diffraction from the telescope's aperture. We suggest to break this symmetry and thus to locate planets hidden beneath it. An eccentric pupil mask is rotated to modulate the residual light pattern not removed by other means. This modulation is then exploited to reveal the planet's constant signal. In well-corrected ground-based observations we can reach planets six stellar magnitudes fainter than their sun, and only 2-3 times the diffraction limit from it. At ten times the diffraction limit, we detect planets 16 magnitudes fainter. The stellar background drops by five magnitudes.
Related Concept Videos
Kepler's First Law of Planetary Motion
Polish astronomer Nikolaus Copernicus put forth a theory that stated a heliocentric model for the solar system. According to this heliocentric theory, all the planets, including Earth, orbit the Sun in circular orbits.
On the other hand,...
Kepler's Second Law of Planetary Motion
While in an elliptical orbit, the total energy of the planet is conserved. Therefore, the planet slows down when it is at apogee and...
Kepler's Third Law of Planetary Motion
Acceleration due to Gravity on Other Planets
Astronomical observations are thus used to measure the acceleration due to gravity on other planets. This can be determined by observing the effect of a planet's gravity on objects close to it. The crucial factor that helps in this...
Schwarzschild Radius and Event Horizon
The minimum speed required to launch a projectile from the surface of an object to which it is gravitationally bound so that it eventually escapes the object’s gravitational field is called the escape velocity. The escape velocity is independent of the mass of the object. Merging the idea of escape velocity with the...
Gravitation Between Spherically Symmetric Masses

