Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026
11:48
Detection of Alternative Splicing During Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
Published on: October 9, 2014
13.4K
Likely Transiting Exocomets Detected By Kepler
S Rappaport1, A Vanderburg2,3,4, T Jacobs5
1Department of Physics, and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
|May 15, 2018
Summary
Astronomers found strong evidence of exocomets transiting a star using Kepler data. These exocomets, similar to those in our solar system, produced asymmetric light dips indicating a dusty tail.
Area of Science:
- Exoplanetary Science
- Stellar Photometry
- Cometary Astronomy
Background:
- Exocomet transits offer insights into the composition and dynamics of planetary systems beyond our own.
- Previous detections of exocomets have been challenging due to their transient nature and faint signals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present compelling evidence for exocomet transits observed in Kepler mission data.
- To characterize the properties of these transiting exocomets and their host star.
- To develop a model explaining the observed transit light curves.
Main Methods:
- Conducted an exhaustive visual search of the Kepler photometric data for KIC 3542116.
- Employed data validation techniques to rule out instrumental artifacts.
- Fitted transit light curves using a simple dust-tail model.
Main Results:
- Detected six asymmetric transits (three deep, three shallow) consistent with exocomets with dust tails.
- Estimated exocomet transverse speeds of 35-50 km/s and minimum dust mass of ~10^16 g.
- Calculated a total cometary mass of >= 3x10^17 g, comparable to Halley's comet.
- Reported a similar exocomet transit in a second star, KIC 11084727.
Conclusions:
- The observed transits provide robust evidence for the presence of exocomets.
- The study constrains the physical properties and mass of exocomets.
- The findings suggest exocomets may be common in planetary systems.
Related Concept Videos
02:31Phase Transitions
23.3K
Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...
23.3K
01:18Kepler's Third Law of Planetary Motion
4.3K
In the early 17th century, German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler postulated three laws for the motion of planets in the solar system. In 1909, he formulated his first two laws based on the observations of his forebears, Nikolaus Copernicus and Tycho Brahe. However, in 1918, he published his third law of planetary motion, which gives a precise mathematical relationship between a planet's average distance from the Sun and the amount of time it takes to revolve around the Sun. It...
4.3K
02:58Properties of Transition Metals
30.0K
Transition metals are defined as those elements that have partially filled d orbitals. As shown in Figure 1, the d-block elements in groups 3–12 are transition elements. The f-block elements, also called inner transition metals (the lanthanides and actinides), also meet this criterion because the d orbital is partially occupied before the f orbitals.
30.0K
01:10Kepler's First Law of Planetary Motion
5.6K
In the early 17th century, German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler postulated three laws for the motion of planets in the solar system. He formulated his first two laws based on the observations of his forebears, Nikolaus Copernicus and Tycho Brahe.
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,...
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,...
5.6K
01:29Kepler's Second Law of Planetary Motion
5.3K
In the early 17th century, German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler postulated three laws for the motion of planets in the solar system. His first law states that all planets orbit the Sun in an elliptical orbit, with the Sun at one of the ellipse's foci. Therefore, the distance of a planet from the Sun varies throughout its revolution around the Sun.
While in an elliptical orbit, the total energy of the planet is conserved. Therefore, the planet slows down when it is at apogee and...
While in an elliptical orbit, the total energy of the planet is conserved. Therefore, the planet slows down when it is at apogee and...
5.3K
01:58Cooperative Allosteric Transitions
8.9K
Cooperative allosteric transitions can occur in multimeric proteins, where each subunit of the protein has its own ligand-binding site. When a ligand binds to any of these subunits, it triggers a conformational change that affects the binding sites in the other subunits; this can change the affinity of the other sites for their respective ligands. The ability of the protein to change the shape of its binding site is attributed to the presence of a mix of flexible and stable segments in the...
8.9K