A recent release of data and measurements of distant planets is marking a change for the astronomical community.
Last week, researchers with the W.M. Keck Observatory atop Mauna Kea shared their discovery of more than 100 new exoplanets—far-away planets that revolve around stars.
It took astronomers more than 20 years to discover these planets using a device called the High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer or HIRES to detect tiny wobbles of nearby stars caused by the gravity of the planets.
Hilton Lewis is the Director of the W.M. Keck Observatory.
He says sharing this discovery and data marks a new era for astronomy.
Lewis says the observatory staff is excited to share the data because it will encourage others to share their observations of distant planets and the cosmos.
He says the more observations, the better.
