Hey Star Gazers, are we alone in the universe?# Today we're talking about one of the most exciting frontiers in astronomy, exoplanets.

The search for# these distant worlds is helping us inch closer to an answer.

An exoplanet is any planet outside# of our solar system.

That means that they don't orbit our Sun, but instead orbit other stars.# We confirmed the first one in the 90s, and in the few decades since, astronomers have discovered# thousands more, over 5,000 confirmed so far, with more being found all the time.

Some are enormous# planets that are like hot Jupiters, gas giants orbiting so close to their stars that their years# last only a few of our days.

Others are small and rocky and more Earthlike.

And some of those# orbit in what's called the habitable zone, where conditions might allow liquid water and possibly# life.

Now, there's no current evidence that there's life beyond Earth, but in this habitable# zone, planets are at a distance from the star where conditions might be just right.

Not too hot,# not too cold for water and maybe life to occur.

So, you might be wondering, how can astronomers# detect planets that are light years away and much too faint to see directly?

Well, they're pretty# clever and they have a few different methods.

First, they might use the transit method.# When a planet passes in front of its star, it causes a tiny dip in the stars brightness# because of its shadow.

Telescopes like NASA's Kepler Space Telescope and TESS watch for these# subtle flickers to reveal planets.

Then there's the radial velocity, sometimes called the wobble# method.

As a planet orbits, its gravity tugs on its star, causing the planet to wobble slightly.# By measuring changes in the stars light spectrum, astronomers can detect that unseen planet.

Then# finally, astronomers might use direct imaging to find exoplanets.

This is rare, but amazing.# Using advanced technology, astronomers can sometimes capture actual pictures of exoplanets# by blocking out the star's glare.

So, why does the search for exoplanets matter?

Each discovery# tells us more about the diversity of worlds in our galaxy.

Some exoplanets are unlike anything we've# imagined.

Giant planets with two suns or worlds covered entirely in oceans.

The more we find, the# better we understand how planets form, how common Earthlike worlds might be, and ultimately whether# life could exist elsewhere in the universe.

We still don't have the answer to are we alone?

But# every new exoplanet discovered brings us one step closer to finding out.

Could you imagine if we# found extraterrestrials in our lifetimes?

Ugh, so neat to think about.

Anyway, when it comes# to planets beyond our solar system, the next big discovery could be just around the corner.

So,# as always, Star Gazers, remember, keep looking up.

Do you want to know more about the night sky,# space exploration, astronomy?

Let us know down in the comments what you want to know.

And in# the meantime, click this video to learn more.