Universe ID: 20284

Kepler Passes Planet-Finding Torch to TESS Animation

Animations by Bailee DesRocher Released on October 30, 2018

After nine years in space, NASA's Kepler has reached its end. The Kepler and K2 missions have discovered over 2,600 confirmed exoplanets so far, including some in the habitable zones of their stars. Kepler used transits--regular dips in a star's brightness caused by orbiting planets--to find new worlds. It's the same method used by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. In a way, Kepler has passed the planet-finding torch on to TESS, which will scan nearly the entire sky to continue the hunt for exoplanets.

Animation Credits

Bailee DesRocher (USRA): Lead Animator
Michael Lentz (USRA): Lead Artistic Director
Claire Saravia (NASA/GSFC): Lead Producer
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Technical Support

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20284

Missions:
Kepler
TESS

Keywords:
SVS >> Astrophysics
NASA Science >> Universe
SVS >> Exoplanet
SVS >> Kepler
SVS >> TESS