When observing our Sun, what precision level in luminosity measurement is required to detect the transit of Jupiter?
Answer
A decrease of less than one percent
Detecting the transit of a planet like Jupiter, if it were orbiting our Sun, demands extraordinary instrumental sensitivity. The text emphasizes that this level of measurement requires capabilities unimaginable just a few decades ago. Specifically, the dimming event caused by Jupiter would amount to a decrease in the Sun's normal luminosity of less than one percent. This highlights the extreme subtlety of the transit signal and underscores the sophisticated engineering required for modern instruments to reliably measure such minuscule, periodic changes in light across vast interstellar distances.
Related Questions
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