ving ▁Do pp ler ▁sh ifts ▁of ▁the ▁star ' s ▁spectrum ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁star ' s ▁movement ▁Ob ser ving ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁light ▁from ▁a ▁star ▁change ▁as ▁an ▁ex tras olar ▁planet ▁trans its ▁the ▁star , ▁prevent ing ▁a ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁light ▁from ▁reaching ▁the ▁observer ▁P uls ar ▁timing ▁Gra v it ational ▁mic rol ens ing ▁Ob ser ving ▁radiation ▁from ▁circum stell ar ▁dis ks ▁in ▁the ▁inf ra red ▁ ▁All ▁of ▁these ▁methods ▁provide ▁convin cing ▁evidence ▁for ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁ex tras olar ▁plan ets , ▁but ▁none ▁of ▁them ▁provide ▁actual ▁images ▁of ▁the ▁plan ets . ▁ ▁The ▁goal ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁World s ▁Mission ▁is ▁to ▁block ▁the ▁light ▁coming ▁from ▁nearby ▁stars ▁with ▁an ▁occ ul ter . ▁This ▁would ▁allow ▁the ▁direct ▁observation ▁of ▁orbit ing ▁plan ets . ▁The ▁occ ul ter ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁large ▁sheet ▁disc ▁flow n ▁thousands ▁of ▁kilom eters ▁along ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁sight . ▁The ▁disc ▁would ▁likely ▁be ▁several ▁tens ▁of ▁meters ▁in ▁diameter ▁and ▁would ▁fit ▁inside ▁existing ▁exp end able ▁launch ▁vehicles ▁and ▁be ▁deployed ▁after ▁launch . ▁ ▁One ▁difficulty ▁with ▁this ▁concept ▁is ▁that ▁light ▁incoming ▁from ▁the ▁target ▁star ▁would ▁diff ract ▁around ▁the ▁disc ▁and ▁construct ively ▁inter f ere ▁along ▁the ▁central ▁axis . ▁Thus ▁the ▁star light ▁would ▁still ▁be ▁easily ▁visible , ▁making ▁planet ▁detection ▁impossible . ▁This ▁concept ▁was ▁first ▁fam ously ▁the or ized ▁by ▁Sim éon