Number of exoplanets discovered
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Exoplanet Discovery Numbers: Historical and Current Totals
The discovery of exoplanets began in 1995, and since then, the number of confirmed exoplanets has grown rapidly. As of early 2022, over 4,900 exoplanets have been confirmed by the scientific community, with the number surpassing 5,000 by mid-2021 according to recent reviews and statistical analyses 269. This growth reflects the increasing capabilities of detection methods and dedicated missions.
Major Exoplanet Discovery Missions and Their Yields
Kepler Space Telescope Discoveries
NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope has played a major role in exoplanet discovery. By monitoring 145,000 stars, Kepler has discovered over 2,500 exoplanets using the transit method, and its cumulative catalog reached 3,697 planet candidates after three years of data collection 48. Many of these candidates have a high probability of being true exoplanets.
TESS Mission Contributions
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is another significant mission. Estimates suggest TESS will find about 1,250 exoplanets in its high-cadence mode, with an additional 3,100 planets expected from full-frame image data, and potentially more than 10,000 around fainter stars. TESS is also expected to discover hundreds of small planets suitable for further study .
Gaia and Future Projections
The Gaia mission, using astrometric methods, is projected to discover around 21,000 high-mass, long-period exoplanets during its nominal 5-year mission, with the number rising to about 70,000 if the mission is extended to 10 years . Looking further ahead, if current discovery trends continue, the total number of known exoplanets could reach 100,000 by 2030, especially with the combined efforts of Gaia and the upcoming WFIRST mission .
Summary of Exoplanet Discovery Growth
The number of exoplanets discovered has increased from the first detection in 1995 to over 5,000 confirmed exoplanets by 2022, thanks to missions like Kepler, TESS, and Gaia 245689. Projections suggest that with ongoing and future missions, the number of known exoplanets will continue to rise rapidly, potentially reaching tens of thousands within the next decade 13.
Conclusion
Exoplanet discovery has accelerated dramatically over the past three decades, with thousands of confirmed planets and many more candidates identified by dedicated space missions. As technology and detection methods improve, the number of known exoplanets is expected to grow substantially, offering new opportunities for understanding planetary systems beyond our own.
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