astrometric measurements in exoplanet detection

Astrometric measurements in exoplanet detection involve precisely tracking a star's position in the sky over time. If a star has a planet orbiting it, the star doesn’t stay perfectly still; instead, it wobbles slightly due to the gravitational pull of the planet. By carefully observing these tiny shifts in the star’s position, scientists can infer the presence of an orbiting planet, determine its orbit, and estimate its mass. This method requires extremely accurate measurements, often at a level of micro-arcseconds, to detect these minuscule star movements caused by distant planets.