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zoom between the neighborhood and the galaxy — tap or hover any planet for its story

Exoplanets are planets orbiting stars that are not our sun. They help us understand possible environments for other forms of life. This visualization, built using D3, shows how exoplanet detection has changed since scientists discovered the first planets orbiting other star systems in the early 1990s. Each point is a confirmed exoplanet — color is the discovery method, size is the planet's mass, and hovering reveals its name and story. As detection methods have become more sensitive, we are able to detect exoplanets farther and farther, especially via the transit method (light dims as exoplanets pass in front of their star) or the microlensing method (where light from extrasolar stars and planets is bent due to gravity of objects in space).

This visualization has made use of the NASA Exoplanet Archive, which is operated by the California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under the Exoplanet Exploration Program. Data retrieved from the archive on August 19th, 2026. Only planets with a published mass estimate appear — about 38% of confirmed planets — and mass is measured more often for some discovery methods than others, so the mix of colors reflects what has been measured, not everything that is out there. Where the archive lists multiple parameter sets for a planet, one representative value is shown.