Which telescope first found thousands of exoplanets?
Quick Answer
NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope found more than 2,600 confirmed exoplanets and thousands of candidates. It transformed the search for planets beyond our Solar System.
The Full Story
Kepler revolutionized exoplanet science by using the transit method to monitor more than 150,000 stars for tiny dips in brightness. During its mission, it found over 2,600 confirmed exoplanets and many thousands of candidates. Launched in 2009, Kepler showed that planets are common in the galaxy, including many rocky worlds and systems unlike our own. Its discoveries laid the groundwork for later missions such as TESS and JWST studies of exoplanet atmospheres.
Key Facts
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