The Digital Press

Secular resonances caused by evolving stellar spin affect planet orbits, often aligning outer planets but misaligning inner ones, impacting transit observations. This dynamic can reduce the likelihood of detecting multi-planet systems via transits.

Why it matters: Stellar spin-down-induced resonances alter planet alignments, skewing transit detections toward fewer multi-planet systems.

The big picture: Sweeping resonances happen in about 20% of systems, affecting orbital alignments and observed planet multiplicity.

Stunning stat: The Kepler-619 system has roughly equal odds (1:1) of experiencing such sweeping resonances that reshape planet orbits.

The stakes: Resonance-driven misalignment reduces the probability of observing multi-planet transits, biasing exoplanet surveys toward singles.