
Exoplanets, worlds beyond the Solar System - The Planetary Society
Highlights Scientists have discovered more than 5,000 planets outside of the Solar System, or “exoplanets”. Most stars in our galaxy have at least one exoplanet, and many are unlike any of the …
The Different Kinds of Exoplanets You Meet in the Milky Way
At a glance: Exoplanets are planets that orbit other stars. Some look like planets in our own solar system, while others are dramatically different. Exoplanets seem to follow the same general rules as …
How astronomers search for life on exoplanets - The Planetary Society
Oct 11, 2023 · New technologies for seeing exoplanets Direct exoplanet imaging, which involves blocking the light from a bright star and resolving the light from a nearby, fainter planet, is an …
The most Earth-like exoplanets - The Planetary Society
We call them exoplanets. Now researchers have found over 5000 confirmed exoplanets, but a relatively small number of these worlds are similar to Earth. Here are the top three worlds that remind us the …
What Is the Habitable Zone? - The Planetary Society
At a Glance The habitable zone is the not-too-hot, not-too-cold region around a star where liquid water can exist on a planet’s surface. Liquid water is a key ingredient for life as we know it, so exoplanets …
How to Search for Exoplanets - The Planetary Society
How to Search for Exoplanets Even through a powerful ground- or space-based telescope, stars look like tiny points of light. Planets are even tinier and are very difficult to spot next to their bright host …
Revisiting K2-18 b: JWST finds a new lead in… | The Planetary Society
Jan 15, 2025 · If you're a fan of the search for life or just cool exoplanets in general, urine for a Ride. JWST has detected signs of methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of K2-18 b. It's a …
Color-Shifting Stars: The Radial-Velocity Method
The radial-velocity method for detecting exoplanets relies on the fact that a star does not remain completely stationary when it is orbited by a planet. The star moves, ever so slightly, in a small circle …
Wobbly Stars: The Astrometry Method | The Planetary Society
How We Detect Exoplanets: The Astrometry Method Exoplanets and their stars pull on each other. We can’t see the exoplanet, but we can see the star move. The star’s motion compared to other stars …
What are the most Earth-like worlds we’ve… | The Planetary Society
Aug 23, 2021 · The most Earth-like exoplanets These three planets beyond our Solar System have some important characteristics in common with Earth, like orbiting in the habitable zone of their star.