Scientists may have just uncovered 10,000 more possible planets lurking beyond our solar system. A new study published by research database ARXiv used artificial intelligence and data from NASA’s planet-hunting TESS satellite to identify thousands of new exoplanet candidates orbiting distant stars across the Milky Way. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite—better known as TESS—has already helped discover nearly 900 confirmed exoplanets and contributed to the catalog of more than 6,000 known planets outside Earth’s solar system. Scientists search for planets by tracking dips in starlight, which can signal a planet passing in front of its host star. This latest study dramatically expanded that search by combing through data tied to roughly 83 million fainter stars that had largely gone unexplored. The newly identified worlds are still considered candidates until officially verified, but researchers say the findings could significantly speed up the hunt for potentially habitable planets. According to NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, scientists are still working to officially confirm nearly 8,000 additional exoplanet discoveries.
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