Imagine that an observation is being made of an expected occultation of a distant star by a planet.. Imagine that an observation is being made of an expected occultation of a distant star by a planet. Before the time when the star is expected to be temporarily blocked by the planet, the star’s light dims and then brightens again twice before disappearing behind the planet. After the star reappears on the other side of the planet, the same dimming and brightening occurs again. What might this be telling us about the foreground planet and why? Also, describe an instance of a similar occurrence that you learned about in class.
Imagine that an observation is being made of an expected occultation of a distant star by a planet.
