TESS just found a planet in a new way—and more may be hiding in its eight years of data
NASA’s TESS mission has successfully identified an exoplanet using a microlensing technique, potentially uncovering thousands of planets within existing data.
What happened
The TESS mission has officially confirmed the discovery of a planet using a microlensing method, marking the first time this approach has been utilized by the satellite. The finding includes the identification of a distant super Jupiter and the planetary system Gaia23bra b.
Coverage from NASA Science, Phys.org, heise online, and EurekAlert! highlights the unconventional use of TESS data to detect these bodies. Reports from Texas Tech University and fox34.com note that researchers at the university contributed to the confirmation of the discovery.
Attention now shifts to the eight years of accumulated TESS data, which analysts suggest may contain as many as 8,000 candidate exoplanets. Future updates will likely focus on whether this detection method leads to the systematic discovery of additional planetary systems.
Synthesized by headlinez.news from the headlines below under a strict no-invention contract. ✓ fact-checked: all claims supported by sources Updated 43d ago.
Questions people are asking
What method did TESS use to find the new planet?
TESS identified the planet using a microlensing technique, a new method for the mission.
How many potential planets might be hidden in the data?
Coverage indicates that there are 8,000 candidate exoplanets potentially hidden within the eight years of TESS mission data.
Who participated in the discovery?
The team included researchers from Texas Tech University and NASA.
Coverage (7)
- Artist’s concept visualizes Gaia23bra b, (IMAGE) EurekAlert! · 47d ago
- Search for Earth twin: TESS finds exoplanet via microlensing for the first time heise online · 47d ago
- Texas Tech Researcher Part of Team That Finds Planet in New Way Texas Tech University · 47d ago
- Texas Tech physicist helps confirm distant ‘super Jupiter’ using NASA satellite in new way fox34.com · 47d ago
- '8,000 candidate exoplanets': NASA's TESS is hiding mind-boggling space secrets in its 8-year data WION · 47d ago
- NASA’s TESS Mission Finds Planetary System in New Way NASA Science (.gov) · 47d ago
- TESS just found a planet in a new way—and more may be hiding in its eight years of data Phys.org · 47d ago
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