Astronomer Dr. Iqbal proposes that "rogue planets" — planets ejected from their solar systems and drifting through interstellar space — are far more numerous than previously believed, perhaps outnumbering stars in our galaxy.
Which finding from a microlensing survey, if true, would most strongly support Dr. Iqbal's proposal?
- A
Most stars in the survey were found to be similar in age to the Sun.
- B
The survey revealed that microlensing events are difficult to distinguish from variable stars.
- Ccheck_circle
The survey detected hundreds of free-floating planetary-mass objects in a small patch of sky, implying billions galaxy-wide.
- D
The survey confirmed the existence of several previously known exoplanets orbiting their host stars.
Explanation
A scales a high local count to a galaxy-wide population that exceeds star counts, directly supporting Iqbal's proposal. B concerns bound planets; C and D are unrelated.