Exoplanets

As of March 2016, planetary scientists have discovered almost 2,000 exoplanetsplanets that orbit stars other than the Sun. Readers will learn about high-powered orbiting telescopes such as NASA's Kepler Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope; observatories such as the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland; and upcoming missions such as the 2018 launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, all of which aid scientists in their work to discover more solar systems and exoplanets. Profiles of and quotes from top planet hunters include those of Debra Fischer, Gordon Walker, and Geoffrey Marcy, among others.