The Kepler Space Telescope

The Kepler Space Telescope is a NASA spacecraft launched in 2009 to discover planets outside our solar system, called exoplanets. It monitors the brightness of over 150,000 stars, looking for tiny dimming patterns that occur when a planet passes in front of, or transits, its star. By detecting these regular dips, Kepler can identify planets and estimate their size and orbit. Its mission has vastly expanded our understanding of planetary systems, revealing thousands of exoplanets and helping scientists explore the possibility of habitable worlds beyond Earth.