Why is it difficult to take pictures of extrasolar planets?

Answer 1

To get a direct image of a planet, we need to gather the light it is reflecting. Planets in our own solar system are much closer and thus, they appear bigger - and they can often be found far enough away from where the Sun appears to be, so that the Sun's light doesn't affect the imaging effort.

However, when a star is many light years away, and a planet is around it, it will appear very, very close to its parent star - which is essentially blinding it out.

Imaging trying to gather the light reflected off a grain of sand which is sitting next to a large flashlight shining in your face.

Answer 2

Because of their distance from us. The light emitted by such planets is very faint, compared to their host stars, the planets are very, very close to their host stars (as seen by us), and the star outshines them (i.e., an object of the same brightness would be easier to observe without the presence of another, much brighter, object nearby).

Answer 3

For the most part, planets are invisible to us. Stars make their own brilliant light: we can see some of them, but planets do not. We know about most extrasolar planets by observing how they make their star wobble ever so slightly from the force of gravity.

Answer 4

Dark planet. Bright star. The planet being further from the star can make it more difficult as well. So distance and the contrast of light and no light.

Answer 5

It is likely that stars are way brighter, and that planets are much dark, epsecially if the planet is far away from its orbiting star.

Answer 6

Because of the way the planets are changing phases

Answer 7

Their light is overwhelmed by the light of their star.