Exoplanet Math: Transit Depth, Orbits, Habitable Zones & Radial Velocity
Find and characterise planets around other stars in a spreadsheet: transit depth to planet radius, period and ephemeris from repeated dips, Kepler's third law, equilibrium temperature, habitable-zone edges, minimum mass from radial velocity, density and composition hints, and a catalogue chart, every cell checked as you go. Educational, simplified and fictional data, not affiliated with any space agency.
The first lesson is free — no account needed.
About this course
An exoplanet course that finds and characterises planets around other stars with simplified, fictional data in a spreadsheet, for astronomy and physics students, teachers, science clubs and space enthusiasts. You measure the dip in a transit light curve and turn the transit depth into the radius ratio and the planet's radius in Earth radii, fit the orbital period from six transits with SLOPE and predict a future one, get the semi-major axis from Kepler's third law, calculate equilibrium temperatures from the star, distance and albedo, find the inner and outer edges of the habitable zone from stellar luminosity, read the radial-velocity semi-amplitude and turn it into a minimum planet mass, combine mass and radius into density and a rocky, watery or gassy hint, and chart a catalogue of radius against period. Simplified, fictional data, with no space agency affiliation. Educational only. The first lab is free.
Lessons
- Transit Depth: From a Light Curve to the Planet's RadiusFree
- Repeated Dips: Orbital Period, Ephemeris & Transit Duration Pro
- Kepler's Third Law: Orbit Size from Period & Star Mass Pro
- Equilibrium Temperature: Star, Distance & Albedo Pro
- Habitable Zone Boundaries from Stellar Luminosity Pro
- Radial Velocity: Semi-Amplitude to Minimum Planet Mass Pro
- Planet Density: Rocky, Watery or Gassy? Pro
- Comparing a Catalogue: Size Classes & Radius vs Period (Chart) Pro