Do you ever wonder how explorers discover something, or why they look for it? Well, in this section you can find how and why astronomers discovered Pluto, Europa, and Extrasolar Planets.

Have you ever looked up in the sky and wondered if there are planets orbiting stars other than our Sun? That is what extrasolar planets are. In 1995, astronomers discovered the first extrasolar planet, 51Pegasi B, orbiting a star 45 light-years from Earth.

Would you believe that a young farm boy and a beginner astronaut could discover Pluto? Well believe it, Clyde Tombaugh did. In January 1930, he uncovered photos of Planet X (Pluto) that had been taken 15 years earlier. You’ll be amazed by who actually came up with the name Pluto!

Could you imagine living on one of Jupiter’s moons? If there is water on Europa life is very likely to be on it. NASA’s Galieo spacecraft has sent amazingly detailed pictures that may lead to more clues about life on Europa.