Skip to main content Missions Search All NASA MissionsA to Z List of MissionsUpcoming Launches and LandingsSpaceships and RocketsCommunicating with MissionsArtemisJames Webb Space TelescopeHubble Space TelescopeInternational Space StationOSIRIS-RExHumans in Space Why Go to SpaceAstronautsCommercial SpaceDestinationsSpaceships and RocketsLiving in SpaceEarth & Climate Explore Earth ScienceClimate ChangeEarth, Our PlanetEarth Science in ActionEarth MultimediaEarth DataEarth Science ResearchersAbout NASA NASA's ImpactsCenters and FacilitiesDirectoratesOrganizationsPeople of NASACareersInternshipsOur HistoryDoing Business with NASAGet InvolvedContactLearning Resources For Kids and StudentsFor EducatorsFor Colleges and UniversitiesFor ProfessionalsScience for EveryoneSpace Samples for LearningRequest an Exhibit or SpeakerSTEM Engagement at NASAAeronautics Science in the AirNASA AircraftFlight InnovationSupersonic FlightAir Traffic SolutionsGreen Aviation TechDrones & YouTechnology Technology Transfer & SpinoffsSpace Travel TechnologyTechnology Living in SpaceManufacturing and MaterialsRoboticsScience InstrumentsComputingThe Universe ExoplanetsThe Search for Life in the UniverseStarsGalaxiesBlack HolesThe Big BangDark Matter & Dark EnergyThe Solar System The SunMercuryVenusEarthThe MoonMarsJupiterSaturnUranusNeptunePluto & Dwarf PlanetsAsteroids, Comets & MeteorsThe Kuiper BeltThe Oort CloudSkywatchingEspañol CienciaAeronáuticaCiencias TerrestresSistema SolarUniversoScience All NASA ScienceEarth SciencePlanetary ScienceAstrophysics & Space ScienceThe Sun & HeliophysicsBiological & Physical SciencesLunar ScienceCitizen ScienceAstromaterialsAeronautics ResearchHuman Space Travel Research ExploreSearchSubmitNews & EventsMultimediaNASA+
 Exoplanets HomeExoplanets OverviewExoplanets FactsTypes of ExoplanetsStarsWhat is the UniverseSearch for LifeThe Big QuestionsAre We Alone?Can We Find Life?The Habitable ZoneWhy We SearchDiscoveriesDiscoveries DashboardHow We Find and CharacterizeMissionsPeopleExoplanet CatalogImmersiveThe ExoplaneteersExoplanet Travel Bureau5 Ways to Find a PlanetStrange New WorldsUniverse of MonstersGalaxy of HorrorsNewsStoriesBlogMultimediaResourcesGlossaryEyes on ExoplanetsExoplanet WatchExEPExplore This SectionExoplanets HomeExoplanets OverviewSearch for LifeDiscoveriesImmersiveNewsMultimediaResourcesExEPExoplanetsAn exoplanet is any planet beyond our solar system. Most orbit other stars, but free-floating exoplanets, called rogue planets, are untethered to any star. We’ve confirmed more than 5,200 out of the billions of exoplanets that we believe exist.exoplanet K2-18b illustrationOverviewMost of the exoplanets discovered so far are in a relatively small region of our galaxy, the Milky Way. ("Small" meaning within thousands of light-years of our solar system; one light-year equals 5.88 trillion miles, or 9.46 trillion kilometers.) Even the closest known exoplanet to Earth, Proxima Centauri b, is still about 4 light-years away. We know there are more planets than stars in the galaxy.By measuring exoplanets’ sizes (diameters) and masses (weights), we can see compositions ranging from rocky (like Earth and Venus) to gas-rich (like Jupiter and Saturn). Some planets may be dominated by water or ice, while others are dominated by iron or carbon. We’ve identified lava worlds covered in molten seas, puffy planets the density of Styrofoam and dense cores of planets still orbiting their stars.Exoplanet StoriesExplore All Exoplanet StoriesArticle5 min readNASA’s Webb Reveals Long-Studied Star Is Actually TwinsArticle4 min readComing in Hot — NASA’s Chandra Checks Habitability of ExoplanetsA yellowish star is at the center of the image. It is surrounded by a mottled disk of gas and dust that transitions from bright yellow to darker orange as you move outward. The disk stretches from about 8 o'clock to 2 o'clock and is tilted so that the nearer side is toward the viewer.5 min readWebb Finds Plethora of Carbon Molecules Around Young StarArticle1 week agoArtist's concept shows a full disk of imagined planet Vulcan, predominantly light brown with patches of gray-green, against the black background of space.4 min readDiscovery Alert: Spock’s Home Planet Goes ‘Poof’Article3 weeks agoA composite screenshot of 12 participants on a video call.2 min readArizona Students Go on an Exoplanet WatchArticle3 weeks agoExoplanets17 ImagesGo To GalleryGo To GalleryUnable to render the provided sourceGet set for launch. “Eyes on Exoplanets” will fly you to any planet you wish—as long as it's far beyond our solar system. This fully rendered 3D universe is scientifically accurate, allowing you to zoom in for a close look at more than 1,000 exotic planets known to orbit distant stars.Exoplanet TypesSo far scientists have categorized exoplanets into the following types: Gas giant, Neptunian, super-Earth and terrestrial with subcategories like mini-Neptunes within those groups.Learn More about Exoplanet TypesK2-33b, shown in this illustration, is one of the youngest exoplanets detected to date using NASA's Kepler Space Telescope.Exoplanet Travel BureauJourney beyond our solar system with guided tours, 360° surface visualizations, and our popular posters.How do we find exoplanets?Exoplanets are far, but scientists have discovered creative ways to spot these seemingly tiny objects.Strange New WorldsExplore an interactive gallery of some of the most intriguing and exotic exoplanets discovered so far.Explore This SectionKeep ExploringDiscover More Topics From NASASearch for LifePhoto of a planet with a bright purple glow emitting from behindStarsGalaxiesLooking like a pinwheel, this face-on spiral galaxy holds a bright-white core at image center. Arms curve outward from the core. They hold dark dust lanes and bright star-forming regions. All on a black background dotted with stars.Black Holes
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