Researcher Identified Two Potential Exoplanets in NASA Data
The potential planetary candidates await verification after AI-assisted analysis of telescope brightness patterns.
Updated on Oct. 10, 2026 in Space
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Pavel Rabtsevich has identified two unconfirmed exoplanets by analyzing public NASA telescope data. These findings rely on periodic brightness dips detected in archival observations.
Why it matters
The identification of these potential worlds highlights how automated analysis of legacy space data can pinpoint candidates for professional follow-up. This methodology helps prioritize targets for future telescope time as researchers refine exoplanet discovery techniques.
The first candidate is 1.4 times the size of Earth and completes an orbit every 3 days. Dips in stellar brightness last approximately 2 hours, consistent with a planetary transit.
The players
Pavel Rabtsevich
An independent researcher who utilizes artificial intelligence to scan public astronomical datasets for potential planetary bodies.
NASA
The United States government agency responsible for the civilian space program, which maintains the TESS telescope used in this study.
The details
Rabtsevich employed artificial intelligence tools to scan public NASA TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) observations from 2018 and 2020. He identified the candidates by applying the transit method, a process that detects planets by measuring the recurring dimming of a star's light as a planet passes in front of it. This pattern suggests two distinct bodies orbiting the host star, with orbital periods of 3 days and 11 days respectively.
Timeline
2018: Original TESS data observations were collected.
2020: Additional TESS data observations were collected.
October 7, 2026: The identification of the candidates was shared publicly.
November 2026: NASA is scheduled to conduct new follow-up observations of the star.
The Tech Race
This effort follows the research trajectory set by the NASA TESS mission, which relies on crowd-sourced and AI-assisted analysis to process its massive volume of stellar light-curve data. It mirrors broader industry efforts to automate the identification of exoplanets within large-scale astronomical surveys.
These findings currently exist as research-stage candidates rather than confirmed celestial objects. The public can track the upcoming November follow-up observations to determine if these potential exoplanets are validated by professional telescope data.
The takeaway
The use of AI in analyzing deep-space datasets continues to increase the speed at which planetary candidates are flagged for study. Readers should watch for the results of the November 2026 observations to see if these candidates are confirmed as official exoplanets.
What happens next
NASA will perform new observations of the star in November 2026 to verify whether the identified brightness patterns correspond to physical planets.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in space exploration by visiting our Space section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by MoneyControl.
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