There are three question sets for this assignment:

1. The TESS observatory is adding new data and understanding to th esearch for extrasolar planets. Review the following graphs of transit data from TESS (and other observatories) and explain in your own words what the curve represents, answering the questions below (200 words 6 points).

What do the black dots represent?
What causes the dip in the center of each graph?
Why are the dips different shapes?
What is the difference between a narrow dip and a wide dip?
What is the difference between a shallow dip and a deep dip?
TESS light curves

2. “K2-315 b is a terrestrial exoplanet that orbits a M-type star. Its mass is 0.809 Earths and it takes 3.1 days to complete one orbit of its star.”

Explain the above sentence in your own words, as if you were talking to a 8 year old. Keep it very simple and understandable to someone without knowledge in this area. ( 100 words – 3 pts)

3. How many extrasolar planets have been discovered to date? (1 point)