Astronomers have discovered 100 previously unidentified exoplanets by applying artificial intelligence analysis to data collected by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The discovery demonstrates how machine learning tools can extract additional scientific value from existing spacecraft observations.
The AI program was specifically designed to identify planetary signals that may have been missed during initial analysis of TESS data. TESS uses the transit method to detect exoplanets, monitoring stars for periodic dimming that occurs when planets pass in front of them from Earth's perspective.