A new instrument funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation called NEID (pronounced “NOO-id”; sounds like “fluid”) will help scientists measure the masses of planets outside our solar system—exoplanets—by observing the gravitational pull they exert on their parent stars. That information can help reveal a planet’s composition, one critical aspect in determining its potential habitability.
![](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2020/anewtoolforw.jpg)
Source:
https://phys.org/news/2020-01-tool-unseen-planets.html