Researchers discover new planet outside solar system with help of AI: What we know so far

Astronomers have leveraged machine learning, a type of AI, to make a significant breakthrough in planet discovery, potentially revolutionizing the field.

The University of Georgia researchers verified the existence of a new planet beyond our solar system with the help of AI.

Jason Terry, a doctoral student at the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, explained in a statement that while they used conventional methods to confirm the planet's existence, their models instructed them to conduct simulations pinpointing the planet's location.


This newly discovered planet increases the already extensive collection of over 5,000 exoplanets identified beyond our solar system, he added.

Astrophysical Journal has published a study outlining the team's findings, which centre around a star called HD 142666. According to the researchers, the use of AI and Machine Learning has unveiled novel mechanisms driving the creation and progression of planetary systems.

Although astronomers had previously analysed the data, the planet went unnoticed until the AI found it. The AI's analysis took only an hour to scour the data and provide compelling proof of a new planet's presence in a particular location.

Jason elaborated that their models, when applied to earlier observations, detected a previously unknown disk that lacked a planet despite having been analyzed previously. After conducting simulations of the disk, they discovered that a planet could reproduce the observations.

Cassandra, the principal investigator of the Exoplanet and Planet Formation Research Group at UGA, remarked that this was an incredibly thrilling proof of concept. They had already demonstrated that machine learning could identify developing exoplanets that were already known. Now, they have confirmed that AI can also lead to discoveries.

This marks the beginning of AI's foray into astronomy and planet detection, demonstrating its efficacy as a powerful tool in various domains.

FAQs

Who is known as the father of AI?
John McCarthy

How many planets are present in our solar system?
A total of 8.