Hunting for exoplanets is a complex and time-consuming process. When an exoplanet candidate is detected, researchers have to observe it passing by its host star three times before they can officially confirm its existence. This isn’t a problem if the orbital period lasts a few days, weeks, or months, but it isn’t exactly effective if the planet takes years to transit its star.

Now, a new method published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics aims to allow astronomers to bypass the long