Why are many exoplanets found by the transit method rather than direct imaging?

The transit method works by detecting the slight dimming of a star when a planet crosses in front of it. Space telescopes such as Kepler and TESS have used this technique to find thousands of exoplanets, especially those with short orbital periods. Direct imaging is much more difficult because stars are enormously brighter than their planets, often by factors of millions or billions. Only a small number of exoplanets, usually large and far from their stars, can be seen directly with advanced instruments and coronagraphs. Transits are therefore one of the most productive ways to discover planets beyond the Solar System.