https://briankoberlein.com/2017/06/15/the-attraction-of-a-star/ Brian Koberlein Fri, 22 Feb 2019 18:22:15 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1 https://briankoberlein.com/2017/06/15/the-attraction-of-a-star/#comment-5363 Wed, 28 Jun 2017 10:03:47 +0000 https://briankoberlein.com/?p=6666#comment-5363 I’m not sure if this is the first detection of lensing by a distant star. I guess it depends on the definition of ‘distant’. Or, more likely, by me misunderstanding the article.
Gravitational microlensing has been used for some years as a means of exoplanet detection. In this, the distant star is lensed by the closer lens star. If the lens star has a planetary companion, then there is a second (much smaller) spike, caused by the planet. Collaborations such as MOA and OGLE have been doing this for some years, with a fair bit of success. Purely random, and therefore our best indication of the true distribution of planets re size and separation within the galaxy.

]]>