The most common indication that a planet may exist near a distant star is the periodic dimming of the star's light. This is called the transit method.

Here's how it works:

* Transit: When a planet passes directly between its star and an observer (like us on Earth), it blocks a tiny fraction of the star's light.

* Periodic: This dimming happens at regular intervals, corresponding to the planet's orbital period around the star.

By carefully measuring the amount of light blocked and the timing of the dips, astronomers can infer the size, orbit, and even the density of the exoplanet.

Other indications of planets around distant stars include:

* Radial velocity: The planet's gravity causes the star to "wobble" slightly. This wobble can be detected by measuring changes in the star's light spectrum.

* Microlensing: When a star passes in front of another star, its gravity can bend the light from the background star, creating a temporary brightening. If there's a planet around the foreground star, it can cause additional, subtle distortions in the light, revealing its presence.

* Direct imaging: Though extremely challenging, sometimes we can directly capture images of planets around other stars, especially if the planets are large, hot, and far from their star.

While these methods are powerful, they each have limitations, and it's often a combination of evidence from multiple methods that confirms the existence of an exoplanet.