How Might Astronomers Weigh Stars?

How do astronomers weigh stars?    In most cases stars that are trillions of miles away can't be measured, though astronomers can get a best estimate using numerical models. But in some instances a star could be measured using inference.    If the star has a transit planet, and that planet has a moon, and both of them cross in front of their star, the size and orbit can be measured to learn about the star.  Has it been done yet?   Well, no, since we have not found a star with both a planet and moon that transit but NASA's Kepler spacecraft should discover several such systems. read more

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