Question

es used to find new astronomical objects
prevents astronomers from directly viewing many planets orbiting other stars?
a. the planets are too far away.
b. the planets are not reflecting light from the stars.
c. the planets are too small.
d. the planets are covered up by the stars.
check answer
incorrect. try again.

Explanation:

To determine the correct answer, we analyze each option:

• Option a: Planets orbiting other stars are extremely far from Earth, making direct viewing difficult as the light they reflect (or emit, for exoplanets) is very faint and hard to detect against the star's brightness.
• Option b: Planets do reflect light from their host stars (or emit infrared, etc.), so this is incorrect.
• Option c: While size matters, the primary issue for direct viewing is the distance, not just size. Even large planets far away are hard to see directly.
• Option d: Planets aren't "covered up" by stars in a way that prevents viewing; the star's brightness overwhelms the planet's light, but the main factor is distance and the resulting faintness of the planet's light relative to the star.

So the correct reason is that the planets are too far away.

Answer:

a. The planets are too far away.