What term refers to planets that orbit stars other than our Sun?

What term refers to planets that orbit stars other than our Sun?

• A. Asteroids
• B. Exoplanets
• C. Comets
• D. Dwarf planets

Answer: (B)

Planets that orbit stars beyond our Sun are called exoplanets. The term captures the idea of a planet outside our solar system, circling another star. Scientists discover and study exoplanets using methods like watching for tiny dips in a star’s brightness when a planet passes in front (transits), detecting wobbles in the star’s motion due to a planet’s gravity (radial velocity), direct imaging, or gravitational lensing. The other options describe things that stay within our solar system: asteroids are small rocky bodies mostly in the asteroid belt, comets are icy bodies with tails from the outer solar system, and dwarf planets are smaller bodies that orbit the Sun and aren’t considered full planets. So, exoplanets is the best term.

Planets that orbit stars beyond our Sun are called exoplanets. The term captures the idea of a planet outside our solar system, circling another star. Scientists discover and study exoplanets using methods like watching for tiny dips in a star’s brightness when a planet passes in front (transits), detecting wobbles in the star’s motion due to a planet’s gravity (radial velocity), direct imaging, or gravitational lensing. The other options describe things that stay within our solar system: asteroids are small rocky bodies mostly in the asteroid belt, comets are icy bodies with tails from the outer solar system, and dwarf planets are smaller bodies that orbit the Sun and aren’t considered full planets. So, exoplanets is the best term.