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How we find new worlds

Four ways to find new worlds: 124 cumulative counts, 1995–2025. These methods cover 6,020 of 6,090 confirmed planets through 2025; other methods are omitted. Counts use the 15 Oct 2026 archive snapshot, classified retrospectively, not historical archive snapshots. Do not add years together. Movement between annual counts is interpolated.

About this chart

Confirmed planets · cumulative count · 1995–2025 · 31 years × 4 methods

Sources, method and credits

NASA Exoplanet Archive (Caltech / NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program) · pscomppars. Star wobble = Radial Velocity; Gravity lens = Microlensing. Transit and Imaging keep their archive names.

Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive acknowledgement · Illustration: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech, Kepler-62f artist concept, JPL image-use policy. Not a telescope photo or endorsement.

Original data source