The Data: Six Thousand Alien Worlds and Counting
Abstract
In the 1990s, astronomers confirmed the first planets orbiting stars beyond our sun. Since then, the tally has risen steadily, and last year it crossed a striking milestone: more than 6,000 known exoplanets. NASA's Exoplanet Archive has captured not just the growing count but how dramatically the pace has accelerated, as new techniques and space telescopes have come on line. The steepest rises coincide with data releases from NASA's Kepler space telescope, which discovered thousands of new planets.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Stellar
planetary
and galactic studies
Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
History and Developments in Astronomy
Publication details
- Journal / source
- IEEE Spectrum
- Volume
- 63
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 14–15
- Publication date
- 1 February 2026
- Language
- EN