The Kepler Planets

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Artists conceptions of planets found by the Kepler Mission

Artist’s concept of two Saturn-sized planets.

Worlds on the Edge
This artist’s concept illustrates the two Saturn-sized planets discovered by NASA’s Kepler mission. The star system is oriented edge-on, as seen by Kepler, such that both planets cross in front, or transit, their star, named Kepler-9. This is the first star system found to have multiple transiting planets.
Image credit: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech
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Image credit: NASA/Tim Pyle

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Kepler-11 is a sun-like star around which six planets orbit. At times, two or more planets pass in front of the star at once, as shown in this artist’s conception of a simultaneous transit of three planets observed by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft on Aug. 26, 2010.
Image credit: NASA/Tim Pyle

Image credit: NASA/Tim Pyle

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This artist’s conception shows the Kepler-11 planetary system and our solar system from a tilted perspective to demonstrate that the orbits of each lie on similar planes.
Image credit: NASA/Tim Pyle

Kepler's Worlds by Lynette Cook
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Kepler’s Worlds Image credit: NASA/Lynette Cook

This is a screenshot from an the animation by NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle -- artist's rendition of the Kepler-16 system seen edgewise.
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Kepler-16 system, edgewise
Image credit: NASA

Screenshot from video "Kepler-16: A Planet Orbiting Two Stars" showing binary star sunset with Kepler spacecraft.
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Kepler-16 sunset with spacecraft
Image credit: NASA

This artist's concept illustrates Kepler-16b, the first planet known to definitively orbit two stars -- what's called a circumbinary planet.
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Kepler-16: In the Light of Two Suns
Image credit: NASA

Dan Durda's artwork depicting the Kepler-11 system
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Kepler-11 by
Image credit: NASA/Dan Durda

an artist's concept of the extrasolar planet HAT-P-7b
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Artist’s concept of the extrasolar planet HAT-P-7b

Image: Kepler-11 is a small, cool star around which six planets orbit.
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2011 Feb 2: Kepler-11 is a small, cool star around which six planets orbit
Image credit: NASA

Kepler-10 Stellar Family Portrait
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Kepler-10 Stellar Family Portrait
Image credit: NASA

2011 Jan 10: A Scorched World, Kepler 10b (Artist's Depiction)
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2011 Jan 10: A Scorched World, Kepler-10b (Artist’s Depiction)
Image credit: NASA

2011 Jan 10: Imagined View from Planet Kepler 10b (Artist's Depiction)
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2011 Jan 10: Imagined View from Planet Kepler-10b (Artist’s Depiction)
Image credit: NASA

2011 Jan 10: Planet Kepler-10b in Orbit (Artist's Depiction)
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2011 Jan 10: Planet Kepler-10b in Orbit (Artist’s Depiction)
Image credit: NASA

2011 Jan 10: An Imagined Canyon on Planet Kepler 10b (Artist's Depiction)
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2011 Jan 10: An Imagined Canyon on Planet Kepler-10b (Artist’s Depiction)
Image credit: NASA