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You're thinking about one of the ways extrasolar planets can be detected, when they cross in front of their parent star (transit photometry) or when they're ima
by xenophonf 11y ago
You're thinking about one of the ways extrasolar planets can be detected, when they cross in front of their parent star (transit photometry) or when they're imaged using light magnified or redirected by a massive foreground object (gravitational microlensing). I don't think we have the capability to detect something in this solar system eclipsing a background object (whether that's a star or a galaxy or whatever else is out there).
- versteegen 11y agoCorrection, rogue planets are detected when their gravity causes micolensing of distant objects (stars), not the other way around. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_planet#Observation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_planet#Observation Not an astronomer, but my impression is that microlensing couldn't be used to detect objects in our own solar system, but I don't see any reason why eclipsing of distant stars couldn't be used... it would be far too rare to be practical to find a planet, though.
- xenophonf 11y agoThanks for the correction!