As many as 200 worlds beyond our solar system discovered by astronomers may be larger than estimated, which could influence the search for extraterrestrial life.
That’s the theory of a team of researchers who looked at hundreds of extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, observed by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
TESS hunts exoplanets by catching them as they cross the face of, or “transit,” their parent star, which causes a tiny drop in light from that star. The study team discovered that light from stars neighboring the one being transited could “contaminate” TESS’ data, making it look like the transiting planet is blocking less light than it actually is. And that would make the planet look smaller than it is.
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