What are planets that orbit stars other than the Sun called?

What are planets that orbit stars other than the Sun called?

• A. Exoplanets
• B. Moons
• C. Comets
• D. Asteroids

Answer: (A)

Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars other than the Sun. The prefix exo- means outside, so these worlds lie outside our solar system. They differ from moons, which circle planets; from comets, which are icy bodies that orbit stars but are not planets; and from asteroids, rocky bodies that mostly stay in belts and don’t orbit other stars as planets do. Scientists detect exoplanets using methods like transit observations, which catch a tiny dip in a star’s brightness when a planet passes in front, or radial velocity, which notices the star’s subtle wobble due to a planet’s gravity.

Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars other than the Sun. The prefix exo- means outside, so these worlds lie outside our solar system. They differ from moons, which circle planets; from comets, which are icy bodies that orbit stars but are not planets; and from asteroids, rocky bodies that mostly stay in belts and don’t orbit other stars as planets do. Scientists detect exoplanets using methods like transit observations, which catch a tiny dip in a star’s brightness when a planet passes in front, or radial velocity, which notices the star’s subtle wobble due to a planet’s gravity.