Abstract
Aside from the definition of a planet in the Solar System, an IAU commission defines an exoplanet as an object that orbits a star and has a mass less than that of 13 Jupiters. Bodies having greater than 80 Jupiter masses are full-fledged stars since they can achieve core temperatures and pressures sufficient to initiate hydrogen fusion and generate their own light. Sustained nuclear fusion is the primary distinction between stars and planets. Astronomers use five main techniques to locate exoplanets: direct imaging, astrometric, radial velocity, transit, and microlensing. When the planet transits its star, the light of the star is slightly diminished. Accurately measuring this tiny dimming over time produces a light curve. Analyzing the light curve, astronomers can determine the planet's orbital period and diameter. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, launched in 2018, is NASA's next step in the search for planets outside the Solar System.
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