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AI Discovers 100+ New Exoplanets Using NASA's TESS Data

3/26/2026

Summary

Story summary

Astronomers used artificial intelligence with NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to identify more than 100 new exoplanets.
The AI program RAVEN analyzed data from 2.2 million stars and found about 2,000 candidate planets, roughly half new.
RAVEN streamlines the detection process from signal detection to statistical validation.
The findings show about 10% of sun-like stars host close-in planets, and Neptune-sized worlds are rare at 0.08%, the Neptunian desert.

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Story summary

Astronomers used artificial intelligence with NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to identify more than 100 new exoplanets.
The AI program RAVEN analyzed data from 2.2 million stars and found about 2,000 candidate planets, roughly half new.
RAVEN streamlines the detection process from signal detection to statistical validation.
The findings show about 10% of sun-like stars host close-in planets, and Neptune-sized worlds are rare at 0.08%, the Neptunian desert.