Calán/Tololo Survey

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cal-n-tololo-survey

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is Calán/Tololo Survey known for?Provided data on exoplanet frequency and refined detection methodologies
2. What is the survey focus?Systematic search for exoplanets in the southern celestial hemisphere
3. What is the primary observational technique?High-precision radial velocity measurements using spectroscopy
4. How did the Calán/Tololo Survey find planets?It used the radial velocity method, which watches tiny wobbles in a star’s light caused by a planet’s gravity. By measuring the star’s speed toward and away from us, scientists could spot hidden planets.
5. When did the Calán/Tololo Survey start and where was it done?It began in 1996 at the Cerro Tololo Inter‑American Observatory in Chile. The observatory’s clear skies made it perfect for precise measurements.

Doppler Shift: The change in frequency of a wave in relation to an observer moving relative to the wave source.
Spectrograph: An instrument used to measure properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Comparative Planetology: The study of planets by comparing and contrasting their various structures, compositions, and histories.