What is the most common source of false positives that mimic a planetary transit signal?
Answer
An eclipsing binary star system
The most common false positive scenario involves two stars orbiting each other, where one star periodically eclipses the other, producing a dimming signature that looks like a planetary transit.
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How to Detect EXOPLANETS - The Transit Method - YouTube
Related Questions
What is the core observation relied upon by the transit method?What is the precise measurement of light intensity used in transit detection called?What shape characterizes a successful transit detection in a light curve?For an Earth-sized planet transiting a Sun-like star, what is the approximate percentage drop in brightness?What planetary characteristic is determined directly by the depth of the transit dip?What parameter, derived from the orbital period and Kepler's Third Law, indicates a planet's average distance from its star?What key property related to composition cannot be measured directly using the transit method alone?What is the most common source of false positives that mimic a planetary transit signal?For a planet orbiting a Sun-like star, what is the approximate chance that its orbital inclination will align correctly for a transit to be witnessed?How does the transit method bias the detection of exoplanetary systems?