What planets orbit the stars that shine brightly in our night sky? Are they gargantuan or minuscule? Warm or chilly? Part of a family or on their own? In this panel, astronomers introduce the most exciting planets TESS has discovered and explore how getting to know our exoplanet neighbors helps us better understand where Earth belongs in the wide variety of possible worlds. NASA's TESS mission launched in April 2018 to search for exoplanets orbiting bright, nearby stars. TESS observes huge swaths of the night sky for a month at a time, collecting a series of tens of thousands of panoramic images before shifting its gaze to the next area. The images, shared with the public and exoplanet-hunting astronomers around the world, are a roadmap for us to get to know our nearest neighbors.



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