It’s impossible to obtain direct images of exoplanets as they are masked by the high luminous intensity of their stars. However, astronomers led by UNIGE propose detecting molecules present in the exoplanet’s atmosphere in order to make it visible, provided that these same molecules are absent from its star. The researchers have developed a device that is sensitive to the selected molecules, rendering the star invisible and allowing astronomers to observe the planet. The results appear in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.