Strange new worlds: Over 5,000 planets confirmed to exist beyond solar system, says NASA

An artist's impression of the James Webb Space Telescope, among the powerful next-generation telescopes that will capture light from the atmospheres of exoplanets, reading which gases are present to potentially identify signs of habitable conditions. – NASA Handout

LOS ANGELES: More than 5,000 planets have been found to exist beyond the solar system, a milestone for astronomy confirmed by NASA on Monday (March 21).

The 5,000-plus exoplanets found so far include small, rocky worlds like Earth, gas giants many times larger than Jupiter, and "hot Jupiters" in scorchingly close orbits around their stars, according to NASA, said Xinhua news agency.