Fast Facts for Kids
Exoplanet Facts for Kids

Exoplanet Facts for Kids

  • Common Name: Exoplanet
  • Description: Large Rounded Astronomical Body That is Not a Star
  • Astronomical Body Type: Celestial Body
  • Located: Outside Our Solar System
  • Total Exoplanets Discovered: 5,284 confirmed (December, 2022)
  • Smallest Exoplanet Discovered: ROXs 42Bb
  • Largest Exoplanet Discovered: Kepler-37b

20 Exoplanet Facts For Kids

  1. An exoplanet is a large rounded astronomical body that orbits one or more stars outside of our Solar System.
  2. Exoplanets are known as extrasolar planets.
  3. Exoplanets can be frozen solid, extremely hot, or orbit perfecting within the habitable zone of its parent star.
  4. Astronomers have discovered more than 5,200 exoplanets as of December 2022.
  5. The International Astronomers Union (IAU) defines an exoplanet as an astronomical body that is less than 13 Jupiter masses and orbits one or more stars, or the remnants of a star.
  6. An exoplanet that meets the IAU mass requirements, but does not orbit a star, is called a rouge planet.
  7. All the exoplanets discovered to date are in the Milky Way galaxy.
  8. When astronomers discover and confirm a planet in another galaxy it will be called an extragalactic planet.
  9. An Earth-like planet, also known as an Earth analog, is an exoplanet that has similar orbital and environmental conditions to Earth.
  10. TRAPPIST-1e is the most Earth-like exoplanet to be discovered on February 22nd, 2017.
  11. The first exoplanet to be discovered and confirmed was Dimidium (51 Pegasi b) by Swiss astronomers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz on October 6th, 1995.
  12. The exoplanet Dimidium orbits a main-sequence star named 51 Pegais and in 2017 traces of water were detected in its atmosphere.
  13. The smallest exoplanet to be discovered and confirmed is Draugr (PSR B1257+12 A) by Polish astronomers Aleksander Wolszczan and Maciej Konacki on April 22, 1994.
  14. The exoplanet Dragur is around double the size of Earth’s moon and orbits a pulsar, making it a pulsar planet.
  15. The closest exoplanet to Earth to be discovered and confirmed is Proxima Centauri b on August 24, 2016.
  16. The exoplanet Proxima Centauri b is famous for being a planet within the habitable zone of its parent star.
  17. The hottest exoplanet to be discovered and confirmed is KELT-9b in 2017.
  18. The exoplanet KELT-9b has a surface temperature around 10,000 K or 17,540 ℃ F.
  19. The coldest exoplanet to be discovered and confirmed is OGLE-2016-BLG-1195Lb in 2017.
  20. The exoplanet OGLE-2016-BLG-1195Lb has a surface temperature around -400 ℃ F.

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Exoplanet Pictures

Pictures are one of the best ways for people to learning about something. That is why we are providing you with the below images to help you with your research on exoplanets. Below you will find three pictures that represent exoplanets. These pictures should help you better understand exoplanets and what they look like.

Exoplanet Covered With Ice

A picture of a exoplanet covered with ice.

A Rocky Exoplanet With A Moon

A picture of a rocky exoplanet with a moon.

Exoplanet With Two Stars

A picture of a exoplanet with two stars.

Exoplanet Resources

Hopefully the above exoplanet facts, data, stats, and pictures were helpful with your research. If you need to continue researching exoplanets you can use one of the below websites. We selected the below websites for their credibility and accurate data on exoplanets.