Breakdown: How a Planet Weighs a Star

A remarkable method in astronomy uses transiting exoplanets to measure the average density of the parent star. By comparing this value to other ways of measuring a star's density, astronomers can learn more about the planet, such as its orbital shape. Prof Kipping breaks down how this is possible in a simplified way and explains how "Asterodensity Profiling" is becoming an important tool in astronomy.

::More about this Video::

► Cartoon list of Asterodensity Profiling effects: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~dkipping...
► Kipping (2014), "Characterizing Distant Worlds with Asterodensity Profiling": http://arxiv.org/abs/1311.1170
► Outro music by Taylor Davis:    • The Avengers Theme - Violins Cover - ...  

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