2014 Event NASA announces that its Kepler space telescope has discovered 715 planets in other solar systems, bringing the instrument's new-planet tally to 961; four of the latest discoveries are thought to have an orbit favorable to habitation, but the distance of these planets makes exploration impossible with current technology 2013 Event Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f, two planets resembling planet Earth are discovered revolving around the star Kepler-62 in the habitable zone, an area around the stars whose atmospheric pressure can suport liquid water at the surface 2013 Event The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics estimates at least 17 billion planets exist that are comparable to the size of the Earth and the Milky Way 2009 Event European astronomers discover 32 extrasolar planets, or exoplanets - planets that orbit a star other than the Sun 1992 Event Arecibo radio telescope begins Microwave search for occupied planets 1982 Event Sygyzy: all 9 planets aligned on same side of Sun 1962 Event 8 of 9 planets align for 1st time in 400 years 1945 Birthday Vadim Abdrashitov, director, Fox Hunt, Parade of Planets 1919 Event 1st public performance of Holst's "Planets" 1874 Birthday Gustav Theodore Holst, Cheltenham, England, composer, Planets 1846 Birthday Johann E. Backlund, Swedish astronomer, planets/asteroids
