What does the article say about the frequency of exoplanets around stars?

What does the article say about the frequency of exoplanets around stars?

• A. They are extremely rare
• B. They are surprisingly common
• C. They are found only around binary stars
• D. They are not detectable with current technology

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that planets around stars are widespread. Observations from methods like transits and radial velocity show that many stars host one or more planets, and often multiple planets in the same system. This leads to the conclusion that exoplanets are more common than people might have expected, which is why the article describes their frequency as surprisingly common. It’s not that planets are rare or limited to special cases; rather, planetary systems appear to be a normal feature of stars.

The main idea here is that planets around stars are widespread. Observations from methods like transits and radial velocity show that many stars host one or more planets, and often multiple planets in the same system. This leads to the conclusion that exoplanets are more common than people might have expected, which is why the article describes their frequency as surprisingly common. It’s not that planets are rare or limited to special cases; rather, planetary systems appear to be a normal feature of stars.