NASA’s Tess (Transiting Explanate Survey Satellite) beat its targets by hand. The space agency has revealed that its spacecraft has discovered more than 2,200 possible planets since the start of its mission in 2018. There are hundreds of smaller planets, some of which may include rocky worlds that are more like Earth (though not necessarily habitable).
TSS originally expected 1,600 planets in its first two years.
Some discoveries are definitely unusual. The rocky planet TOI-700D is only 100 light-years away. The LHS 3844B is a “hot super-earth” with a very close 11-hour orbit. The TOI 1690 B is a rare survivor of planets with red walls in its orbit, while the TOI 849 b is a gas giant that either lost its atmosphere or never did.
It is not guaranteed that every search will be kept under scrutiny. Only 120 planets have been confirmed so far, and NASA candidate is betting on future spacecraft like the James Webb Space Telescope to study the planets in more detail. Yet, the sheer proportions of the planets have already said a lot about their diversity and what it might mean for the universe.
