iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Start with NASA’s Exoplanet Archive, then check each record’s status, discovery method, and linked scientific paper. A catalog entry is a useful starting point—not every candidate signal is a confirmed planet, and the evidence behind the label matters.
Where to find NASA’s exoplanet records
The NASA Exoplanet Archive is the main public starting point for looking up exoplanets, their host stars, and related measurements. Developed through collaboration involving the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Caltech’s IPAC, it provides astronomer-vetted data and tools for exploring and analyzing planetary systems.
NASA’s archive overview, updated August 7, 2026, describes holdings that include data from Kepler and TESS, ground-based surveys such as KELT and SuperWASP, and JWST exoplanet atmosphere spectra. The archive also offers plotting and fitting resources, observation-timing calculators, and alternate ways to access its data. For the latest catalog entries and counts, use the live archive rather than relying on a number in an older article.
How to check whether a discovery is reliable
- Search the archive. Look up a planet, host star, or mission-related record in the NASA Exoplanet Archive.
- Read the record’s status and discovery method. Do not treat a possible signal or candidate as an established planet.
- Open the cited scientific paper. Check what the authors observed, how they analyzed it, and what alternatives they considered.
- Trace the underlying evidence when needed. If you need observations rather than the catalog summary, follow the archive’s data-access options and mission data links.
- Date any changing figure. Record when you accessed the archive if you quote a catalog count or a value likely to be updated.
NASA says the archive records discoveries described in peer-reviewed scientific papers and confirmed using multiple detection methods or analytical techniques. Peer review is an important part of the evidence trail, but it is still worth distinguishing a paper’s actual results from later interpretations or headlines. NASA’s explanation of how planets are found and confirmed describes why follow-up observations and checks for false positives matter.
#1 Best Overall
How to tell a candidate from a confirmed or validated planet
Candidate: a signal that needs more scrutiny
A candidate is a likely planet signal, not proof that a planet exists. A dip in a star’s brightness can also come from a companion star, brown dwarf, dust, asteroids, or instrumental and data artifacts. Repeated observations, follow-up with a different detection technique, or independent observations from other telescopes can help rule out these alternatives.
Confirmed: evidence from different techniques
In NASA’s explanation, the standard confirmation case is when the same candidate is detected using two different techniques. Look at the record and cited paper to see which methods were used and what they established.
Validated: strong evidence from the same technique
NASA uses “validated” for a candidate found with the same technique by different telescopes and scrutinized enough for scientists to be more than 99 percent sure it is a planet. That threshold is part of NASA’s explanation; it is not a universal numerical test to apply without context. Confirmation and validation describe different evidence paths, so preserve the terminology used in the archive record and source paper.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →What the discovery method can—and cannot—tell you
NASA lists transit, radial velocity, direct imaging, and microlensing among the methods used to find exoplanets. Each reveals different aspects of a system:
Rank #3
- Transit: Detects recurring dips in a star’s brightness as a planet crosses in front of it. A planet’s derived size depends on both the amount of starlight blocked and the size of its host star.
- Radial velocity: Tracks a star’s motion under a planet’s gravitational pull and can help determine the planet’s mass.
- Direct imaging: Blocks or separates a star’s light to see a planet.
- Microlensing: Uses the gravitational effect of a foreground star passing in front of a more distant star.
When comparing records, check the method, the type and number of follow-up observations, the candidate/validated/confirmed label, and which physical properties were measured rather than inferred. A catalog value can depend on more than the direct signal: for example, transit-based size estimates also rely on information about the host star.
Where to access NASA exoplanet data
Use the archive’s data-access options for catalog information and related resources, then follow mission links when you need the observations behind a catalog entry. NASA notes that Kepler and TESS data are publicly available in NASA archives. Its open-science article also reports that ExoMiner++ is freely downloadable; the software classifies possible transit signals, but candidate signals still require follow-up observations to confirm.
Rank #4
Public data and analysis tools make it possible to explore discoveries and reproduce aspects of published work, but software output is not itself a confirmation. Follow the record’s cited paper and the observations and analysis described there to understand how a claim was supported.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
How many confirmed exoplanets are there?
NASA reported that the official confirmed count reached 6,000 in September 2025, with thousands more candidates awaiting confirmation. The live archive changes as discoveries are added and assessed, so treat that number as dated context rather than a current total. Check the NASA catalog directly for a count you intend to quote.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
