NASA is using artificial intelligence to speed up the search for planets beyond our solar system. The latest tool, called ExoMiner++, helps scientists study huge amounts of space data and identify possible new exoplanets more quickly and accurately.Developed by researchers at NASA’s Ames Research Center, ExoMiner++ builds on earlier AI work and uses data from two major space missions Kepler and TESS.<h2>What is ExoMiner++</h2>ExoMiner++ is an AI-based software tool designed to analyse transit photometry data. This data comes from tiny dips in a star’s brightness when a planet passes in front of it, known as a transit.According to NASA, the goal of the ExoMiner project is to automatically sort through hundreds of thousands of such signals and flag the ones that are most likely caused by planets. Many signals turn out to be noise or other space events, such as eclipsing binary stars.The original ExoMiner, created in 2021, helped confirm 370 new exoplanets using Kepler data. The new version, ExoMiner++, has been trained using both Kepler and TESS data, making it more flexible and powerful.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Meet our new AI-enabled planet hunting tool: ExoMiner++ Available here: <a href="https://t.co/dDS9j1wbh8">https://t.co/dDS9j1wbh8</a> It&#39;s NASA&#39;s open-source software that uses artificial intelligence to help find exoplanets in publicly available data from the Kepler and TESS missions. Learn more:… <a href="https://t.co/e0iIr1BMB2">pic.twitter.com/e0iIr1BMB2</a>&mdash; NASA Ames (@NASAAmes) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAAmes/status/2019460935400718651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>How ExoMiner++ uses AI to find planets</h2>ExoMiner++ uses machine learning to classify transit signals and decide whether they are likely to be planets. In an early test run using TESS data, the tool flagged around 7,000 targets as potential exoplanet candidates.NASA scientists explain that an exoplanet candidate is not a confirmed planet. These signals still need follow-up observations from other telescopes. However, AI helps narrow down the list, saving scientists years of manual work.Miguel Martinho, a co-investigator on the project at NASA Ames, said AI is ideal for this task because of the sheer volume of data involved. According to him, when there are hundreds of thousands of signals, deep learning tools become essential.<h2>Data from Kepler and TESS&nbsp;</h2>Kepler and TESS observe space in different ways. Kepler studied a small area of the sky in great detail, while TESS scans almost the entire sky, focusing on nearby stars.Despite these differences, NASA says the data from both missions is compatible. This allows ExoMiner++ to learn from both datasets and deliver more reliable results. Project lead Hamed Valizadegan noted that combining data from the two missions allows strong scientific returns with limited resources.<h2>What comes next</h2>ExoMiner++ is open-source and available on GitHub. This means researchers around the world can download it, test it, and use it on public space data.Kevin Murphy, NASA’s chief science data officer, said open-source tools help scientists reproduce results and explore data more deeply. He added that open data and shared code are key parts of modern scientific research.NASA researchers are already working on the next version of ExoMiner++. In the future, the tool may not just analyse transit signals but also detect them directly from raw telescope data.Jon Jenkins, an exoplanet scientist at NASA Ames, said NASA’s open science approach is improving both research and software. According to him, open-source science is one of the main reasons the field of exoplanet discovery is moving so fast.As more space data becomes available, tools like ExoMiner++ are expected to play a central role in finding new worlds beyond Earth.

NASA has developed ExoMiner++, an AI tool that speeds up the search for exoplanets by analysing massive datasets from Kepler and TESS. The system helps scientists quickly identify promising planets.

NASA is using artificial intelligence to speed up the search for planets beyond our solar system. The latest tool, called ExoMiner++, helps scientists study huge amounts of space data and identify possible new exoplanets more quickly and accurately. Developed by researchers at NASA’s Ames Research Center, ExoMiner++ builds on earlier AI work and uses data from two major space missions Kepler and TESS. What is ExoMiner++ ExoMiner++ is an AI-based software tool designed to analyse transit photometry data. This data comes from tiny dips in a star’s brightness when a planet passes in front of it, known as a transit. According to NASA, the goal of the ExoMiner project is to automatically sort through hundreds of thousands of such signals and flag the ones that are most likely caused by planets. Many signals turn out to be noise or other space events, such as eclipsing binary stars. The original ExoMiner, created in 2021, helped confirm 370 new exoplanets using Kepler data. The new version, ExoMiner++, has been trained using both Kepler and TESS data, making it more flexible and powerful.

NASA has developed ExoMiner++, an AI tool that speeds up the search for exoplanets by analysing massive datasets from Kepler and TESS. The system helps scientists quickly identify promising planets.

What is NASA’s ExoMiner++? How AI is scanning space data and helping to find new planets

The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed an exoplanet unlike any previously studied, opening fresh questions about how worlds form and what their atmospheres can contain. Officially named as PSR J2322-2650b, this distant world orbits a pulsar , a rapidly spinning neutron star left over after a massive star’s supernova. Scientists using the James Webb observed through it's infrared instruments that this Jupiter-mass planet is stretched into a lemon-like shape by extreme gravitational forces and has an atmospheric composition that defies existing models. Scientists describe the findings as unexpected and puzzling, making this discovery a milestone in exoplanet research. The paper appeared on Tuesday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>A Planet Around an Unusual Host</h2> According to Live Science, PSR J2322-2650b is located some 750 light-years from Earth and completes a full orbit around its star in just 7.8 hours because it lies extremely close to it, only about one million miles. This contrasts sharply with planets in our own Solar System, such as Jupiter, which orbits much farther from the Sun. Earth’s distance from the Sun is about 100 million miles. Gravitational forces from the much heavier pulsar stretch the planet pulling it so much that it resembles a lemon, rather than a near-spherical shape typical of most planets. Webb’s ability to observe the planet without interference from the pulsar’s intense gamma radiation has been key to studying its distinct environment.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>An Atmosphere That Defies Expectation</h2> The composition of this exoplanet’s atmosphere challenges current understanding. Unlike many exoplanets, PSR J2322-2650b’s outer layers are dominated by helium and carbon, with little to no oxygen or nitrogen detected. This unusual mix means that common molecules like water, methane or carbon dioxide, typically expected in planetary atmospheres, are absent. Webb’s data suggest soot clouds likely float through the air, and deep within the planet, these carbon clouds can condense and form diamonds.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The planet orbits a star that's completely bizarre — the mass of the Sun, but the size of a city,” according to the principal investigator on this study, Michael Zhang. Standard planetary formation theories do not predict a world with such chemistry in this environment, particularly around a pulsar, a host rarely observed with planets at all. Together, the star and exoplanet may be considered a “black widow” system, though not a typical example. In such scenarios, a pulsar strips material from a companion star, but even this model does not fully explain the observed composition and structure. But in this case, the companion is officially considered an exoplanet, not a star. The discovery highlights how Webb’s capabilities are revealing planetary phenomena that were previously invisible, prompting a reevaluation of how diverse planetary systems can be. Of the 6,000 known exoplanets, this is the only one reminiscent of a gas giant (with mass, radius, and temperature similar to a hot Jupiter) orbiting a pulsar.

Scientists describe the findings as unexpected and puzzling, making this discovery a milestone in exoplanet research. 

The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed an exoplanet unlike any previously studied, opening fresh questions about how worlds form and what their atmospheres can contain. Officially named as PSR J2322-2650b, this distant world orbits a pulsar , a rapidly spinning neutron star left over after a massive star’s supernova. Scientists using the James Webb observed through it's infrared instruments that this Jupiter-mass planet is stretched into a lemon-like shape by extreme gravitational forces and has an atmospheric composition that defies existing models. Scientists describe the findings as unexpected and puzzling, making this discovery a milestone in exoplanet research. The paper appeared on Tuesday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. A Planet Around an Unusual Host According to Live Science, PSR J2322-2650b is located some 750 light-years from Earth and completes a full orbit around its star in just 7.8 hours because it lies extremely close to it, only about one million miles. This contrasts sharply with planets in our own Solar System, such as Jupiter, which orbits much farther from the Sun. Earth’s distance from the Sun is about 100 million miles. Gravitational forces from the much heavier pulsar stretch the planet pulling it so much that it resembles a lemon, rather than a near-spherical shape typical of most planets. Webb’s ability to observe the planet without interference from the pulsar’s intense gamma radiation has been key to studying its distinct environment. An Atmosphere That Defies Expectation The composition of this exoplanet’s atmosphere challenges current understanding. Unlike many exoplanets, PSR J2322-2650b’s outer layers are dominated by helium and carbon, with little to no oxygen or nitrogen detected. This unusual mix means that common molecules like water, methane or carbon dioxide, typically expected in planetary atmospheres, are absent. Webb’s data suggest soot clouds likely float through the air, and deep within the planet, these carbon clouds can condense and form diamonds. “The planet orbits a star that's completely bizarre — the mass of the Sun, but the size of a city,” according to the principal investigator on this study, Michael Zhang. Standard planetary formation theories do not predict a world with such chemistry in this environment, particularly around a pulsar, a host rarely observed with planets at all. Together, the star and exoplanet may be considered a “black widow” system, though not a typical example. In such scenarios, a pulsar strips material from a companion star, but even this model does not fully explain the observed composition and structure. But in this case, the companion is officially considered an exoplanet, not a star. The discovery highlights how Webb’s capabilities are revealing planetary phenomena that were previously invisible, prompting a reevaluation of how diverse planetary systems can be. Of the 6,000 known exoplanets, this is the only one reminiscent of a gas giant (with mass, radius, and temperature similar to a hot Jupiter) orbiting a pulsar.

Scientists describe the findings as unexpected and puzzling, making this discovery a milestone in exoplanet research.&nbsp;

NASA'S James Webb telescope observes a bizarre lemon-shaped exoplanet with unexplained atmosphere

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What is NASA’s ExoMiner++? How AI is scanning space data and helping to find new planets

James Webb observes a bizarre lemon-shaped exoplanet with unexplained atmosphere