Listening for distant planets

Researchers explore how signals from pairs of stars could reveal planets that other methods miss. · B1 English reading practice

English text

Astronomers usually look for distant planets by studying light from stars.

Researchers have now studied a different method that would use gravitational waves.

A pair of stars orbiting each other can produce a regular signal.

A nearby planet could pull on the pair and slightly change that signal.

A future space observatory called LISA is being developed to measure waves like these.

A second telescope could help confirm whether some of the changes really come from planets.

Browse the librarySource: NASA