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LAUNCH DATE
Exoplanet-related missions
Dedicated exoplanet missions
2009 Kepler/K2
2013Gaia
2018Tess
2019 Cheops
1990Hubble
2006Corot
2003Spitzer
2021 Webb
2026 Plato
2029 Ariel
spie.org
Exoplanets – or extrasolar planets – are worlds beyond Earth’s solar system, orbiting their own Sun-like star and, often, part of entire planetary systems. Exploring these planets provides
essential clues toward understanding if life might exist beyond Earth. Remote sensing, imaging, and astrobiology are just a few of the optics and photonics applications utilized in this exciting
pursuit of extra-terrestrial knowledge.
First discoveries of exoplanets in the 1990s from ground-based observatories opened up the field of exoplanet research. Since then, space telescopes have expanded our reach. Collaboration among nations and agencies is typical and thriving,
and supports missions that aren’t otherwise possible.
Neptune-likeSimilar to Uranus or Neptune
Super EarthMore massive than Earth,lighter than Neptune
TerrestrialRocky, in Earth’s size range
Astrobiologists study the size, composition, and location of exoplanets to assess the possibility of a habitable zone – the range of distance from its star that allows the planet’s temperature to be cool enough
for liquid oceans – critical for Earth-like life.
Gas GiantSimilar to Jupiter or Saturn
EXOPLANETS ARE SORTED INTO CLASSES THAT ARE SIMILAR TO OUR SOLAR SYSTEM PLANETS
5 WAYS TO FIND A PLANET
Transit – 76.0%* Searching for shadows on stars from orbiting planets
Radial velocity – 19.3%*Watching for wobble of a star from pull of a planet
Gravitational microlensing – 2.1%*Observing light from a star bending around a planet
Direct imaging – 1.2%*Taking a picture with a telescope
Astrometry – .02%*Measuring changes in position of the star
Cred
its: M
ark
Garli
ck/S
cien
ce P
hoto
Lib
rary
; ESA
/STF
C RA
L Sp
ace/
UCL/
UK S
pace
Age
ncy/
ATG
Med
iala
b;
ESA
/ ATG
med
iala
b; C
NES;
NAS
A/JP
L-Ca
ltech
; NAS
A; N
ASA/
Ames
Res
earc
h Ce
nter
/Dan
iel R
utte
r
*Percentage of all exoplanets found