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Artist’s concept of 51 Pegasi b close to its host star

Why did 51 Pegasi b change the search for planets?

Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz announced 51 Pegasi b in 1995. The planet was a giant on an orbit lasting only about four days—an arrangement absent from our Solar System. The discovery showed why searching only for familiar planetary architectures could hide signals already present in the data.

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ESO/M. Kornmesser/Nick Risinger (skysurvey.org)

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Artist’s concept of TOI-700 d with its red dwarf host

What does habitable zone mean for TOI-700 d?

TESS discovered TOI-700 d through repeated dips in a cool star’s light, with the result announced in January 2020. Its orbit places it in the star’s habitable zone. That identifies an interesting energy range, while leaving its actual atmosphere and surface conditions to be determined.

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NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

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