How many new planets have been discovered
According to the NASA Exoplanet Archive, which is a database of confirmed exoplanets, as of March 2023, there are:
- 4,106 confirmed exoplanets: These are planets that have been confirmed to exist outside our solar system through a variety of detection methods, such as the transit method, radial velocity method, and direct imaging.
- 7,444 candidate exoplanets: These are planets that have been detected and are awaiting confirmation through further observations and analysis.
It's worth noting that these numbers are constantly changing as new discoveries are made and confirmed. In fact, the rate of exoplanet discoveries has been increasing rapidly in recent years, with over 1,000 new exoplanets discovered in 2022 alone.
Some notable recent discoveries include:
- TRAPPIST-1e: One of seven Earth-sized planets orbiting the ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, discovered in 2017.
- K2-18b: A super-Earth exoplanet that orbits a small, cool star about 111 light-years from Earth, discovered in 2019.
- LHS 3844b: A rocky exoplanet that orbits a small, cool star about 49 light-years from Earth, discovered in 2020.
- TOI-700d: A potentially habitable exoplanet that orbits a small, cool star about 100 light-years from Earth, discovered in 2020.
These discoveries have greatly expanded our understanding of the diversity of planetary systems and the potential for life beyond Earth.