Launched by NASA in 2009, the Kepler space telescope was outfitted with equipment to discover and study Earth-sized planets in the Milky Way galaxy. It was named after the 17th century scientist and ...

Space-watchers saw the handwriting on the wall months ago, but now it’s official: NASA’s Kepler spacecraft, by far the most successful planet-hunting telescope in history, isn’t coming back. Engineers ...

After nearly a decade of groundbreaking exploration, NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope concluded its mission, leaving a lasting legacy in the search for exoplanets. The spacecraft, which confirmed the ...

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Professional astronomers don’t make discoveries by ...