A Galaxy Full of Alien Planets (Infographic)

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The latest data shows that our Milky Way galaxy is chock full of billions of planets, at least one for every star.
The latest data shows that our Milky Way galaxy is chock full of billions of planets, at least one for every star. (Image credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com Contributor)

The latest study on the likely distribution of planets in our galaxy has found that at least 160 billion alien worlds exist in our Milky Way. Astronomers say the survey, based on estimates and computer projects, means that at least 1.6 planets circle each star in our galaxy. See how the alien planet population of our galaxy stacks up in the SPACE.com infographic above.

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Karl Tate
Karl Tate
Space.com contributor

Karl's association with Space.com goes back to 2000, when he was hired to produce interactive Flash graphics. From 2010 to 2016, Karl worked as an infographics specialist across all editorial properties of Purch (formerly known as TechMediaNetwork).  Before joining Space.com, Karl spent 11 years at the New York headquarters of The Associated Press, creating news graphics for use around the world in newspapers and on the web.  He has a degree in graphic design from Louisiana State University and now works as a freelance graphic designer in New York City.