How do scientists find planets around other stars?

Scientists usually find faraway planets by noticing what they do to their stars. A planet can make starlight dip on a steady schedule as it moves across our view, or make the star shift a little because both bodies are tugging on each other.

The lovely part is how much can be learned from almost nothing. A small fade can reveal a planet's size and year, while a color change in the starlight can hint at its pull. Whole worlds show up as patterns in light.