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Originally Posted by rally
Just wondering- if we are talking about exo planets where its not (yet) possible to detect any moons - is a planet's mass deemed to be inclusive or exclusive of its moon/s ?
Afterall the orbit it makes around its sun is going to be a function of the combined mass of the planet and its moon/s.
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At this stage we have enough trouble detecting the planets, let alone detecting something smaller. Ultimately it really depends on how the planet has been detected in the first place.
If it is by a transit method (planet moving in front of its star) then we won't be able to detect any moons.
If by direct observation, it is doubtful that we'll have the resolution to be able to detect a moon around the planet, let alone differentiate a dimmer moon from the already incredibly faint planet