The Discovery of Exoplanets: Worlds Beyond the Sun

The first confirmed exoplanets were discovered in 1992 orbiting a pulsar.
In 1995, scientists found 51 Pegasi b, the first exoplanet around a Sun-like star.
Exoplanets are detected using methods like the transit and radial velocity techniques.
NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope revolutionized the search, finding thousands of worlds.
Many exoplanets are “hot Jupiters,” giant planets orbiting very close to their stars.
Others lie in the habitable zone, where liquid water could exist.
Some exoplanets have bizarre traits, like raining glass or having two suns.
The discovery of exoplanets expanded our view of the universe dramatically.
Today, astronomers have confirmed over 5,000 exoplanets.
Each discovery raises the question: could one of them host life?