▁have ▁been ▁photograph ed . ▁The ▁first ▁ex op lan et ▁to ▁be ▁photograph ed , ▁ 2 M 1 2 0 7 b , ▁is ▁in ▁orbit ▁around ▁a ▁star ▁called ▁ 2 M 1 2 0 7 . ▁Astronom ers ▁were ▁only ▁able ▁to ▁photograph ▁this ▁planet ▁because ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁very ▁unusual ▁planet ▁that ▁is ▁very ▁far ▁from ▁its ▁host ▁star , ▁approximately ▁ 5 5 ▁astronom ical ▁units ▁( about ▁twice ▁the ▁distance ▁of ▁Ne pt une ). ▁Furthermore , ▁the ▁planet ▁is ▁orbit ing ▁a ▁very ▁dim ▁star , ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁brown ▁d war f . ▁ ▁To ▁overcome ▁the ▁difficulty ▁of ▁distingu ishing ▁more ▁Earth - like ▁plan ets ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity ▁of ▁a ▁bright ▁star , ▁the ▁New ▁World s ▁Mission ▁would ▁block ▁the ▁star ' s ▁light ▁with ▁an ▁occ ul ter . ▁The ▁occ ul ter ▁would ▁block ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁star light ▁from ▁reaching ▁the ▁observer , ▁while ▁allowing ▁the ▁planet ' s ▁light ▁to ▁pass ▁und ist urbed . ▁The ▁star sh ade ▁would ▁be ▁tens ▁of ▁meters ▁across ▁and ▁probably ▁made ▁out ▁of ▁K apt on , ▁a ▁light weight ▁material ▁similar ▁to ▁My lar . ▁ ▁Method s ▁ ▁Trad itional ▁methods ▁of ▁ex op lan et ▁detection ▁rely ▁on ▁indirect ▁means ▁of ▁infer ring ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁orbit ing ▁bodies . ▁These ▁methods ▁include : ▁ ▁Ast rom etry ▁– ▁watching ▁a ▁star ▁move ▁slightly ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁gravit ational ▁influence ▁of ▁a ▁nearby ▁planet ▁Ob ser