exoplanet

[ek-soh-plan-it]

noun

Astronomy.

1. a planet that revolves around a star other than the sun.

exoplanet

/ ˈɛksəʊˌplænɪt /

noun

1. a planet that orbits a star in a solar system other than that of Earth

exoplanet

1. See extrasolar planet

Other Word Forms

• exoplanetary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of exoplanet¹

First recorded in 1970–75; exo- + planet

Example Sentences

University of California, Irvine astronomers have identified an exoplanet located within a star's habitable zone, a region where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist on the surface.

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The Pleiades has long served as a key reference point for understanding young stars and exoplanets, and it holds cultural meaning across many societies.

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"The exoplanet is in the habitable or the 'Goldilocks Zone,' the right distance from its star that liquid water could exist on its surface, if it has the right atmosphere."

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Designed to detect small exoplanets around cool, dim stars, these robotic instruments were vital for verifying the planets and studying their characteristics in detail.

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The surprising part, however, is not that phosphine was found -- but that it appears absent from other brown dwarfs and gas giant exoplanets where scientists expected it.

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