ALMOST every extrasolar planet discovered so far has been detected indirectly by measuring the wobble it induces in its host star. Spotting a planet directly is a huge challenge because the star is at least 10 million times brighter and completely overwhelms any light from the planet. But a simple device called an optical vortex could help astronomers blot out the starlight and bring planets into focus.
So far, attempts to see planets directly have involved positioning a small opaque disc in a telescope so that it blocks out the star’s light. But light from the star can still bend…
