Selected #Exoplanet4K Entries
From February 2019 to June 2019, the NASA Exoplanet Archive held a social media contest inviting the public to imagine what the 4,000th confirmed planet could look like. Entries ranged from a simple description to something more creative, such as a poem, drawing, or video.
Users from around the world shared their visions on Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #Exoplanet4K, and each person was entered into a random drawing for a free, full-color poster from the Exoplanet Travel Bureau.
When the archive's exoplanet counter ticked past 4,000 planets on June 13, 2019, we announced Twitter follower @Spyder_Webb as the contest winner (scroll down this page to see his tweet).
At this time, we can only guess what planet #4000 really looks like because it's so far away and we're still developing the technology to observe them close-up. Until then, scientists will continue gathering data on exoplanets and their stars that we'll make available through the archive. To see what we do know, check out our interactive table of exoplanet properties.
The contest is over, but here are some of the more memorable entries we wanted to highlight. Special thanks to Teacher Guido and his students at La Scuola Possibile in Turin, Italy for the creative artwork!
(Click an image to view a larger version.)
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| "Blue Stormy Planet" by Edoardo, 2nd Grade |
"Stormy Planet" by Nika, 2nd Grade |
"Blazing Meteor Planet" |
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| "Earth Planet 2" by Gioele, 5th Grade |
"Best Friends Planet" by Viola, 1st Grade |
"Pink Black Planet" by Martina, 2nd Grade |
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| "Blue Water Planet" by Alice, 5th Grade |
"Colour Planet" by Elena, Kindergarten |
"Green Planet" by Giulia, 1st Grade |
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| "4X4 Planet" by Filippo, 5th Grade |
"Magma Rocks Planet" by Alejandro, 2nd Grade | "Future Planet" by Olga, 2nd Grade |
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| "900 Planet" by Bianca, 2nd Grade | "Red Fire Planet" by Alice, 5th Grade | "Rainbow Planet" by Sveva, 1st Grade |
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| "RDM10177" by Luca, 4th Grade |
"Crater Planet" by Pietro, 1st Grade |
"Patchplanet" by Ebrima, 3rd Grade |
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| "Ecoplanet" by Matteo, 2nd Grade |
"Volcano Ice Planet" by Tjaša, 2nd Grade | "Planet of Infinite Hope" by Allegra, 1st Grade |
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| "Lava Lakes" by Daria, 6th Grade |
Perhaps @NASAExoArchive's 4000th #exoplanet discovered will look like this lid from the top of my delicious raspberry sorbet?#ISeePlanetsEverywhere #Exoplanet4K pic.twitter.com/dnCbMQrdHN
— Spyder Webb (@Spyder_Webb) February 18, 2019
When I was just sprouted
— Brett Morris, PhD (@brettmor) May 23, 2019
nine planets we counted.
Then one was revoked,
much rage was provoked.
Then I got my PhD,
and wouldn't you believe
three thousand there were,
said @aussiastronomer!
So if you haven't, keep an eye
on @NASAExoArchive
For soon is the day
of #exoplanet4K
@PlanetQuest @aussiastronomer
— Steve in Carmel (@Rinteln) March 6, 2019
I'm hoping for another Lava World!
This is the best art I could do with only office supplies on hand. ?????? #Exoplanet4K pic.twitter.com/6Bc3rDxz3c
@NASAExoArchive I think we found #Exoplanet4K in the Astronomy dept at #CamSciFest - smallest one detected so far? pic.twitter.com/OmiO7yZ55e
— Matt Nixon (@mcnixon96) March 24, 2019
Wait, let me just draw it. #exoplanet4K
— Melina?????? (@AstroMelina) March 23, 2019
Looks like it has a peanut-shaped moon and is orbiting a star with a dusty debris disk. pic.twitter.com/23KQFkDXVo
We found a mass of weird composition
— Richard Symonds (@kiwi_to_go) March 6, 2019
Happiness was its only emission
It was a really unbelievable notion
That orbiting a star was pure emotion
The reading were strong, not at all fickle
So we had to call it, Planet Tickle....#Exoplanet4K
well it's either
— Lidia Hocke (@elhocke) March 23, 2019
a hot Jupiter
or, oh lord!
a water world
although one cannot be immune
to the thought
of a sub-Neptune#exoplanet4k
@NASAExoArchive I'm just playing the odds for #Exoplanet4K and going with something larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. ¯\_(?)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/OtisxHIAgA
— Justin-in-the-round (@cephalopernicus) February 28, 2019
Hiding out in space
— Todd (maths & words) (@WrongTodd) March 23, 2019
Microlensing or transit,
How will I be found?#exoplanet4K #haiku
Last updated: June 11, 2019
