This is a list ofexoplanet discoveries that were the first by several criteria, including:
and others.
The choice of "first" depends on definition and confirmation, as below. The three systems detected prior to 1994 each have a drawback, withGamma Cephei Ab being unconfirmed until 2002; while thePSR B1257+12 planets orbit a pulsar. This leaves51 Pegasi b (discovered and confirmed 1995) as the first confirmed exoplanet around anon-compact star.
| First | Planet | Star | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First detected exoplanet later confirmed | Gamma Cephei Ab | Gamma Cephei | 1988 (suspected), 2002 (confirmed) | First evidence for exoplanet to receive later confirmation. |
| First exoplanets to be confirmed | PSR B1257+12 B PSR B1257+12 C | PSR B1257+12 | 1992 | Firstsuper-Earths.[1] These exoplanets orbit a pulsar. |
| First confirmed exoplanet around non-compact star | 51 Pegasi b | 51 Pegasi | 1995 | First convincing exoplanet discovered around a Sun-like star.[2] While the minimum mass ofHD 114762 b was high enough (11 Jupiter-masses) that it could be a brown dwarf, 51 Peg b's minimum mass meant that it almost certainly was near the mass of Jupiter. |
| Discovery method | Planet | Star | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First planet discovered viapulsar timing | PSR B1257+12 B PSR B1257+12 C | PSR B1257+12 | 1992 | Firstsuper-earths.[1] |
| First planet discovered viaradial velocity | 51 Pegasi b | 51 Pegasi | 1995 | First convincing exoplanet discovered around a Sun-like star.[2] While the minimum mass of HD 114762 b was high enough (11 Jupiter-masses) that it could be a brown dwarf, 51 Peg b's minimum mass meant that it almost certainly was near the mass of Jupiter. |
| First planet discovered viatransit | OGLE-TR-56 b | OGLE-TR-56 | 2002 | [3] This was also the second planet detected through transiting,[3] and the then farthest planet known at time of discovery.[3] The first extrasolar planet detected to be transiting wasHD 209458 b, which had already been discovered by the radial velocity method.[3][4] |
| First planet discovered viagravitational lensing | OGLE-2003-BLG-235L b | OGLE-2003-BLG-235L /MOA-2003-BLG-53L | 2004 | This was discovered independently by theOGLE andMOA teams.[5] |
| First planetary-mass companion discovered by direct imaging | 2M1207 b | 2M1207 | 2004/ 2005 | May be a sub-brown dwarf instead of a planet, depending on formation mechanism and definitions chosen.[6] |
| First directly imaged extrasolar planet discovered orbiting a star | DH Tauri b | DH Tauri | 2005 | Revised masses place it below the deuterium-burning limit.[7] May be a brown dwarf companion.[8] DH Tauri b andGQ Lupi b were confirmed as companions within about three month in 2005. Both could bebrown dwarfs. If one is a planet, it is the first planet orbiting a 'normal' star, possibly the first exoplanet directly imaged. |
| First planet discovered through variable star timing | V391 Pegasi b | V391 Pegasi | 2007 | The planet was discovered by examining deviations from pulsation frequency from a subdwarf star.[9] |
| First extrasolar planet discovered by indirect imaging (visible light) | Fomalhaut b | Fomalhaut | 2008 | Discovered by a light reflecting off of a dust cloud surrounding the planet.[10] First planet orbiting an ABO star. In 2020 this object was determined to be an expanding debris cloud from a collision of asteroids rather than a planet.[11] |
| First extrasolar planet discovered by astrometric observations | HD 176051 b | HD 176051 A or HD 176051 B | 2010 | Orbits around one of the stars in a binary star system although it is not known which component it is orbiting around. |
| First exoplanet discovered by orbital perturbations of another planet | Kepler-19c | Kepler-19 (KOI-84,TYC 3134-1549-1) | 2011 | Detected through transit-timing variation method. Its existence was inferred by the gravitational influence it had on the orbital periodicity ofKepler-19b.[12][13] |
| First exoplanets discovered by orbital phase reflected light variations | Kepler-70b,Kepler-70c[14] | Kepler-70 | 2011 | Now dubious.[15][16] |
| First exoplanet discovered by transit-duration variation method | Kepler-88c | Kepler-88 (KOI-142) | 2013 | Both transit timing variation and transit-duration variation was measured to measure deviations from the regular orbit of Kepler-88b. Deviations of the planet's transit duration and timing helped to discover Kepler-88c.[17] |
Some of these planets had already been discovered by another method but were the first to be detected by the listed method.
| Detection method | Planet | Star | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First planet detected viaradial velocity | Gamma Cephei Ab | Gamma Cephei | 1988 | First evidence for exoplanet to receive later confirmation. |
| First planet detected viapulsar timing | PSR B1257+12 B PSR B1257+12 C | PSR B1257+12 | 1992 | [1] |
| First planet detected by transit method | HD 209458 b | HD 209458 | 1999 | This first exoplanet found to be transiting had already been discovered by the radial velocity method. This is also the first planet that has been detected through more than one method.[3][4] |
| First planetary-mass companion directly imaged (infrared) | 2M1207 b | 2M1207 | 2004/ 2005 | May be a sub-brown dwarf instead of a planet, depending on formation mechanism and definitions chosen. If it is a planet, it is the first known planet around a brown dwarf. |
| First directly imaged extrasolar planet orbiting a star (infrared) | DH Tauri b | DH Tauri | 2005 | Revised masses place it below the deuterium-burning limit.[7] May be a brown dwarf companion.[8] DH Tauri b andGQ Lupi b were confirmed as companions within about three month in 2005. Both could bebrown dwarfs. If one is a planet, it is the first planet orbiting a 'normal' star, possibly the first exoplanet directly imaged. |
| First planet with observed secondary eclipse (infrared) | HD 209458 b | HD 209458 | 2005 | Planet was discovered in 1999. This is the first detection of light from an object with a clear planetary origin.[18] |
| First directly imaged extrasolar planet orbiting a sun-like star (infrared) | AB Pictoris b | AB Pictoris | 2005 | [19] It has10±1MJ.[20] GQ Lupi b was found earlier.[21] May, however, be a brown dwarf companion. 1RXS J160929.1−210524 b was found later.[22] Revised mass places it at or above the deuterium-burning limit. May be a sub-brown dwarf instead of a planet, depending on formation mechanism and definitions chosen. The orbital status of the companion was confirmed in 2010.[23] |
| First planet characterized by atmospheric spectroscopy | HD 209458 b | HD 209458 | 2007 | [24] also by[25] HD 189733 b was characterized spectroscopically only few month later.[26] Any of the earlierDirect imaging exoplanets, e.g.2M1207 b,DH Tauri b orGQ Lupi b have spatially resolved spectroscopic observations, but the objects need confirmation to be of planetary origin. |
| First extrasolar planet detected by indirect imaging (visible light) | Fomalhaut b | Fomalhaut | 2008 | Discovered by a light reflecting off of a dust cloud surrounding the planet.[10] First planet orbiting an ABO star. In 2020 this object was determined to be an expanding debris cloud from a collision of asteroids rather than a planet.[11] |
| First planets directly characterized through astrometric observations | Gliese 876 b andGliese 876 c | Gliese 876 | 2009 | |
| First planet detected by orbital phase reflected light variations in visible light | CoRoT-1b[27] | CoRoT-1 | 2009 | The planet in question had already been discovered with transit method. |
| First planet characterized by spatially resolved atmospheric spectroscopy | HR 8799 c | HR 8799 | 2010 | [28][29] Several spectra ofDirect imaging exoplanets might be earlier, but the objects need confirmation to be of planetary origin. EspeciallyAB Pictoris b is a candidate, if its mass is confirmed to be10±1MJ.[20] |
| First planets detected through ellipsoidal light variations of the host star | HAT-P-7b | HAT-P-7 | 2010 | [30] |
| First planets detected through transit timing variation method | Kepler-9b,Kepler-9c | Kepler-9 | 2010 | Transit-timing variation was used to confirm both planets detected through transit method.[31] |
| First planet detected through transit duration variation method | Kepler-16b[32] | Kepler-16 | 2011 | Orbital motion of the three-body system Kepler-16 causes variations of the duration of stellar eclipses and planetary transits. |
| First planet detected with eclipsing binary timing with well-characterized orbit | Kepler-16b | Kepler-16 | 2011 | Kepler-16b itself was detected through transit method. There are stars with earlier detections through eclipsing binary timing. However, either those signals have matched with unstable orbits or the exact orbits are not known.[33] |
| First planet detected by light variations due to relativistic beaming | TrES-2b | TrES-2A | 2012 | [34] |
| First tilted multi-planetary system discovered | Kepler-56b,c andd | Kepler-56 | 2013 | [35] |
| First extrasolar planet detected throughpolarimetry | DH Tauri b / GSC 6214-210 b | DH Tauri / GSC 6214-210 | 2021 | "polarization of several tenths of a percent for DH Tau B and GSC 6214-210 B in H-band" ... "unlikely to be caused by interstellar dust." ... "the polarization most likely originates from circumsubstellar disks."[36] Both companions may bebrown dwarfs orexoplanets. Polarized scattered light was found forHD 189733 b in 2008.[37] It could not be confirmed and was disputed by two separate teams.[38][39][40] Possibly a "Saharan dust event over the La Palma observatory in 2008 August".[40] HD 189733 b was discovered in 2005. |
| System type | Planet | Star | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First extrasolar planet discovered in a solitary star system | PSR B1257+12 B PSR B1257+12 C | PSR B1257+12 | 1992 | First extrasolar planets discovered.[41] |
| First multiple planet extrasolar system discovered | PSR B1257+12 A PSR B1257+12 B PSR B1257+12 C | PSR B1257+12 | 1992 | Firstpulsar planetary system. |
| First planet discovered in a circumbinary orbit | PSR B1620-26 b | PSR B1620-26 | 1993 | Orbits a pulsar and a white dwarf. Discovery confirmed in 2003. |
| First planet discovered in globular cluster | PSR B1620-26 b | PSR B1620-26 | 1993 | Located inMessier 4. |
| First planet discovered in a multiple main-sequence star system | 55 Cancri Ab | 55 Cancri A | 1996 | 55 Cnc has a distant red dwarf companion.
|
| First "free-floating" planet discovered[NB 1] | S Ori 68 | N/a | 2000 | ~5 MJupiter[42] Isolated status needs confirmation. Could be a companion of SE 70; needs confimation.[43] S Ori J053810.1-023626 (S Ori 70) has a mass of 3 MJupiter; needs confirmation.[44][45] |
| First binary star system where both components have separate planetary systems | HD 20781 b HD 20781 c HD 20782 b | HD 20781 HD 20782 | 2011 | |
| First multiple planet system in a multi-star system where multiple planets orbit multiple stars | Kepler-47b Kepler-47c | Kepler-47 | 2012 | [46][47]NN Serpentiscataclysmic variable is suspected to have at least 2 planets as of 2009.[48] |
| Star type | Planet | Star | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firstpulsar planet discovered | PSR B1257+12 B PSR B1257+12 C | PSR B1257+12 | 1992 | [41][1] |
| First known planet orbiting awhite dwarf | PSR B1620-26 b | PSR B1620-26 | 1993 | Orbits a pulsar and a white dwarf. Discovery confirmed in 2003.GD 66 b was announced in 2007, but has not been confirmed. |
| First known extrasolar planet orbiting amain sequence star (Sun-like) | 51 Pegasi b | 51 Pegasi | 1995 | Firsthot Jupiter.[41] |
| First known planet orbiting ared dwarf | Gliese 876 b | Gliese 876 | 1998 | [49][50] |
| First "free-floating" planet discovered[NB 1] | S Ori 68 | N/a | 2000 | ~5 MJupiter[42] Isolated status needs confirmation. Could be a companion of SE 70; needs confimation.[43] S Ori J053810.1-023626 (S Ori 70) has a mass of 3 MJupiter; needs confirmation.[44][45] |
| First known planet orbiting a truegiant star | Iota Draconis b | Iota Draconis | 2002 | PlanetEpsilon Reticuli Ab was discovered earlier in 2000, however its host star is a star of sub giant-giant type.[51] |
| First known planet orbiting abrown dwarf | 2M1207 b | 2M1207 | 2004 | May in fact be asub-brown dwarf instead of a planet, depending on formation mechanism and definitions chosen. First directly imaged exoplanet.[52] |
| First known planet orbiting apre-main-sequence star | DH Tauri b | DH Tauri | 2005 | Revised masses place it below the deuterium-burning limit.[7] May be a brown dwarf companion.[8] |
| First known planet orbiting anA star (white star) | Fomalhaut b | Fomalhaut | 2008 | First extrasolar planet discovered by visible light image. In 2020 this object was determined to be an expanding debris cloud from a collision of asteroids rather than a planet.[11] |
| First confirmed planet orbiting only awhite dwarf | WD 0806−661 B | WD 0806−661 | 2011 | Maybe a sub-brown dwarf instead of planet, depending on the formation mechanism.[53] |
| First known planet orbiting aB star (blue-white star) | b Centauri b | b Centauri | 2021 | [54] |
| First known planet orbiting ahypervelocity star | MOA-2011-BLG-262Lb | MOA-2011-BLG-262L | 2024 | [55] |
| Planet type | Planet | Star | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firstsuper-Earth discovered[NB 2] | PSR B1257+12 B PSR B1257+12 C | PSR B1257+12 | 1992 | First planets discovered.[41] |
| Firsthot Jupiter | 51 Pegasi b | 51 Pegasi | 1995 | First planet discovered orbiting a main sequence star. |
| First evaporating planet discovered | HD 209458 b | HD 209458 | 1999 | First transiting planet.[41] |
| First free-floating planet discovered[NB 1] | OTS 44 | N/a | 1998 | |
| Firstsuper-Earth orbiting a main- sequence star[NB 2] | Gliese 876 d | Gliese 876 | 2005 | Orbits a red dwarf star. |
| First icy extrasolar planet orbiting a main-sequence star | OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb | OGLE-2005-BLG-390L | 2006 | Orbits a red dwarf star. The icy nature of this planet is not confirmed, as no radius measurements are available so the density is unknown. The first extrasolar planet known to have a density compatible with being an icy planet is GJ 1214 b, though even for this case there are other possibilities for the composition. |
| Firstocean planet candidate; also first small planet within thecircumstellar habitable zone | Gliese 581d | Gliese 581 | 2007 | Orbits a red dwarf star. This planet orbits a little too far from the star, but thegreenhouse effect would be enough to make this planet habitable. The other ocean planet candidate,GJ 1214 b, was detected by transit in which the density was calculated and determined that this planet is an ocean planet. Now disputed.[56][57] |
| First extrasolarterrestrial planet orbiting a main-sequence star | CoRoT-7b (planetary nature confirmed in 2009; terrestrial composition confirmed in 2022) / Kepler-10b (planetary nature and terrestrial composition confirmed in 2011) | CoRoT-7 /Kepler-10 | 2009 / 2011 | Here "terrestrial" refers to a bulk density indicative of a rocky composition. Dulcinea (Mu Arae c) (discovered in 2004) has been proposed to be a terrestrial planet, but its terrestrial nature is not confirmed, as no radius measurements are available so the density is unknown. The minimum mass is comparable to that ofUranus, which is not a terrestrial planet. Janssen (55 Cancri e) has been proposed to be a terrestrial planet. However, its radius (1.9 times Earth's) is above the radius gap that distinguishes super-earths from sub-neptunes, and its bulk density is lower than that of the terrestrial planets.[58]CoRoT-7b has been claimed to be the first "rocky" planet discovery. However, at the time of its discovery (2009), its composition was "loosely constrained without a precise mass".[59] A 2010 study found that the mass and radius were consistent with an earth-like bulk composition but noted the large error bars due to stellar activity and remarked that additional RV data were necessary for "reducing the errors on the planet mass needed for comparing to planetary structure models".[60] As of 2019, uncertainties in the bulk density of CoRoT-7b remain at the 50% level.[61] A 2022 analysis employed noise mitigation techniques in an effort to resolve the planet masses that had "been under debate since their initial detection" in 2009. The 2022 study confirmed the rocky nature of CoRoT-7b.[62] The first unequivocally confirmed terrestrial-like (rocky) planet is Kepler-10b (discovered and confirmed to have a rocky composition in 2011).[63] The precision of the Kepler photometer combined with the quiet nature of the star and the detection of stellar oscillations enabling asteroseismology studies led to precise mass, radius, and bulk density measurements thereby confirming the rocky nature of the planet. |
| FirstJupiter analogue | HIP 11915 b | HIP 11915 | 2015 | The discovery raises the possibility that HIP 11915 will be the firstSolar System analogue discovered. |
| Firstprotoplanet | PDS 70 b | PDS 70 | 2018 |
| Record | Planet | Star | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First map of an extrasolar planet released | HD 189733 b | HD 189733 | 2007 | The map in question is a thermal emission map.[64] |
| First extrasolar planet with a deformation detected | WASP-103b | WASP-103 | 2022 | The radialLove number was estimated for the planet from the transit light curve.[65] |
| First multi-planet extrasolar system directly imaged | HR 8799 b HR 8799 c HR 8799 d HR 8799 e | HR 8799 | 2008 | |
| First planet discovered with aretrograde orbit | WASP-17b | WASP-17 | 2009 | The planet HAT-P-7b was discovered before WASP-17b, but its retrograde nature was announced after that of WASP-17b. The planetNu Octantis Ab, whose orbit is retrograde in a close binary star, was suspected to exist since 2004 although it was not confirmed until 2025.[66] |
| First planet discovered orbiting a Sun-like star in a star cluster | Pr0201b Pr0211b | Pr0201 Pr0211 | 2012 | Beehive Cluster star cluster.[67] |
| First recorded planet-planet transit | Kepler-89d Kepler-89e | Kepler-89 | 2012 | Kepler-89e was found to partially transit Kepler-89d.[68] |
| First extrasolar planet with serious potential to supportlife | Kepler-62f | Kepler-62 | 2013 | Kepler-62f was the first definite near-Earth-sized planet discovered within its star'shabitable zone.[69][70] |
| First transiting planet discovered in a star cluster | Kepler-66b Kepler-67b | Kepler-66 Kepler-67 | 2013 | NGC 6811 star cluster; these two planets were, at the time of discovery, only two of six total planets known in star clusters.[71] |
| First map of cloud coverage of an extrasolar planet | Kepler-7b | Kepler-7 | 2013 | Observations indicate cloud coverage in the west and clear skies in the east.[72] |
| First not tidally locked extrasolar planet to have its day length measured | Beta Pictoris b | Beta Pictoris | 2014 | Rotation time was calculated to be 8.1 hours.[73] |
| First planet found to containwater in thestratosphere | WASP-121b | WASP-121 | 2017 | [74][75] |
| First extrasolar planet system with one radial velocity and one directly imaged planet | Beta Pictoris bBeta Pictoris c | Beta Pictoris | 2019 | [76] |
| FirstEarth-massrogue planet unbounded by any star, and free floating in theMilky Way galaxy. | OGLE-2016-BLG-1928 | N/a | 2020 | Detected bymicrolensing techniques.[77][78] |
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