--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In 1999, my team discovered that the star…" description: "\"In 1999, my team discovered that the star Upsilon Andromedae was circled by three gas-giant planets - the first distant multiplanet system ever found. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/debra-fischer-19620_astronomy_in-1999-my-team-discovered-that-the-star_681587.jpg" --- # In 1999, my team discovered that the star Upsilon… ![“In 1999, my team discovered that the star Upsilon Andromedae was circled by three gas-giant planets - the first distant multiplanet system ever found. That same year, other researchers observed the first 'transit' of an exoplanet - a planet blocking out a small fraction of the starlight as it…” quote by Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/debra-fischer-19620_astronomy_in-1999-my-team-discovered-that-the-star_681587.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/debra-fischer-19620_astronomy_in-1999-my-team-discovered-that-the-star_681587.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/debra-fischer-19620_astronomy_in-1999-my-team-discovered-that-the-star_681587.jpg) > “In 1999, my team discovered that the star Upsilon Andromedae was circled by three gas-giant planets - the first distant multiplanet system ever found. That same year, other researchers observed the first 'transit' of an exoplanet - a planet blocking out a small fraction of the starlight as it passes in front of the star.” [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The discovery of multiple planets around Upsilon Andromedae and the first exoplanet transit marked a breakthrough in detecting distant planetary systems. **In simple terms:** First multi‑planet system and transit discovered. Key Takeaway Explore beyond our solar system. Themes science discovery astronomy Mood excited curious Type scientific informative When to use this quote - research labs - educational outreach - space missions Key Concepts exoplanet detection planetary formation Questions to Reflect On - How does this change our view of the cosmos? - What challenges remain in confirming exoplanets? A Different Perspective Interpretation depends on instrument limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astronomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) [Discovered Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovered-star-5251694/) [Exoplanet Planet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exoplanet-planet-5392595/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Front](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/front/) [Galaxy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/galaxy/) [Planet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planet/) [Planets Distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planets-distant-3217152/) [System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/system/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [Transit Exoplanet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transit-exoplanet-5392594/) [Upsilon Andromedae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upsilon-andromedae-5392596/) ## Related quotes > [“They rarely discovered a star red as a distant crime or a star-fish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andr-breton/they-rarely-discovered-a-star-red-as-a-distant-crime-or-a-star-fish/) [Andre Breton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andr-breton/) > [Damn the Solar System. Bad light; planets too distant; pestered with comets; feeble contrivance; could make a better myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-jeffrey-lord-jeffrey/damn-the-solar-system-bad-light-planets-too-distant-pestered-with/) [Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-jeffrey-lord-jeffrey/) > [The universe has told us the most common types of planets are small planets, and our study shows these are exactly the ones that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/the-universe-has-told-us-the-most-common-types-of-planets-are-small/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [There may be hundreds of small seed planets - or planetesimals - which grow in the disk of matter around a star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/there-may-be-hundreds-of-small-seed-planets-or-planetesimals-which/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [Because Alpha Centauri is so close, it is our first stop outside our solar system. There's almost certain to be small, rocky planets around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/because-alpha-centauri-is-so-close-it-is-our-first-stop-outside-our/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [It now seems logical that all the stars, like our own sun, must have formed with a system of planets around them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/it-now-seems-logical-that-all-the-stars-like-our-own-sun-must-have/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [Kepler's blown the lid off everything we know about extra-solar planets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/kepler-s-blown-the-lid-off-everything-we-know-about-extra-solar/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [Naturally, we think that finding another Earth-like planet is identifying a site that's at least friendly here for the evolution of life. The primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/naturally-we-think-that-finding-another-earth-like-planet-is/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [The first exoplanet to be found around a sun-like star was discovered in 1995, just two years before I began studying exoplanet detection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/the-first-exoplanet-to-be-found-around-a-sun-like-star-was-discovered/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [Any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/any-man-who-can-hitch-the-length-and-breadth-of-the-galaxy-rough-it/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Don't you see? It's Galaxy-wide. It's a worship of the past. It's a deterioration - a stagnation!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/don-t-you-see-it-s-galaxy-wide-it-s-a-worship-of-the-past-it-s-a/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [You'd chosen to be an upright biped on the surface of a small planet of a minor sun on the edge of a minor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/you-d-chosen-to-be-an-upright-biped-on-the-surface-of-a-small-planet/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-one-of-us-is-in-the-cosmic-perspective-precious-if-a-human/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, they play on a different galaxy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-nasri/messi-and-cristiano-ronaldo-they-play-on-a-different-galaxy/) [Samir Nasri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-nasri/) > [My favorite galaxy of all is called the Sombrero, NGC 4594. It's an amazing galaxy that is really two galaxies in one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-faber/my-favorite-galaxy-of-all-is-called-the-sombrero-ngc-4594-it-s-an/) [Sandra Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-faber/) ## More by Debra Fischer > [The first exoplanet to be found around a sun-like star was discovered in 1995, just two years before I began studying exoplanet detection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/the-first-exoplanet-to-be-found-around-a-sun-like-star-was-discovered/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [Naturally, we think that finding another Earth-like planet is identifying a site that's at least friendly here for the evolution of life. The primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/naturally-we-think-that-finding-another-earth-like-planet-is/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [Kepler's blown the lid off everything we know about extra-solar planets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/kepler-s-blown-the-lid-off-everything-we-know-about-extra-solar/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [Our field is very focused on finding Earth 2.0, and anything we can do to narrow the search is helpful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/our-field-is-very-focused-on-finding-earth-2-0-and-anything-we-can-do/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [It now seems logical that all the stars, like our own sun, must have formed with a system of planets around them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/it-now-seems-logical-that-all-the-stars-like-our-own-sun-must-have/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [Because Alpha Centauri is so close, it is our first stop outside our solar system. There's almost certain to be small, rocky planets around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/because-alpha-centauri-is-so-close-it-is-our-first-stop-outside-our/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [Diamond planets truly are the most precious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/diamond-planets-truly-are-the-most-precious/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [As our sensitivity improves, we are finally seeing planets with longer orbital periods, planetary systems that look more like our solar system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/as-our-sensitivity-improves-we-are-finally-seeing-planets-with-longer/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [Science requires speculation, creativity, and wild ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/science-requires-speculation-creativity-and-wild-ideas/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [There's no doubt that the search for planets is motivated by the search for life. Humans are interested in whether or not life evolves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/there-s-no-doubt-that-the-search-for-planets-is-motivated-by-the/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [Further ahead, I'd like to see tiny spacebots - smaller than your cell phone - travel outside our solar system to the nearest star…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/further-ahead-i-d-like-to-see-tiny-spacebots-smaller-than-your-cell/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [There may be hundreds of small seed planets - or planetesimals - which grow in the disk of matter around a star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/there-may-be-hundreds-of-small-seed-planets-or-planetesimals-which/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [The gas-giant planets in our solar system all have large moons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/the-gas-giant-planets-in-our-solar-system-all-have-large-moons/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [The universe has told us the most common types of planets are small planets, and our study shows these are exactly the ones that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/the-universe-has-told-us-the-most-common-types-of-planets-are-small/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) > [Computers can't find the unexpected, but people can when they eyeball the data.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-fischer/computers-can-t-find-the-unexpected-but-people-can-when-they-eyeball/) [Debra Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) [Explore all 32 Debra Fischer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-fischer/) ## More Astronomy quotes > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Wen daylight turns to a darkened hue, D lovely stars hinting at u, ur heart beat tells u something true, That some 1 badly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butterfly-kisses/wen-daylight-turns-to-a-darkened-hue-d-lovely-stars-hinting-at-u-ur/) [Butterfly\_Kisses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butterfly-kisses/) > [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Astronomers have built telescopes which can show myriads of stars unseen before; but when a man looks through a tear in his own eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/astronomers-have-built-telescopes-which-can-show-myriads-of-stars/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [From the grasses in the field to the stars in the sky, each one is doing just that; and there is such profound peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/from-the-grasses-in-the-field-to-the-stars-in-the-sky-each-one-is/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [“Sentinels of trees breathe life into bodies of earthly flesh As their mighty arms reach to the stars we join in their quest for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-ravenswood/sentinels-of-trees-breathe-life-into-bodies-of-earthly-flesh-as-their/) [Ramon Ravenswood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-ravenswood/) > [“If there are no stars on the sky, you must try to be happy with the shining streetlights!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-there-are-no-stars-on-the-sky-you-must-try-to-be-happy-with-the/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Twinking tears in a sea of black. Soft light in a world of darkness. Tiny wishes in a place of dreams. Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/) [Nicole Gentile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-gentile/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars." ... quote has been credited to Les Brown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylviek/shoot-for-the-moon-even-if-you-miss-it-you-will-land-among-the-stars/) [Sylviek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylviek/) > [When certain stars take you under their wing, it does help as they gauge your potential and are willing to work with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-bhatt/when-certain-stars-take-you-under-their-wing-it-does-help-as-they/) [Vikram Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-bhatt/) > [We were put here as witnesses to the miracle of life. We see the stars, and we want them. We are beholden to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-were-put-here-as-witnesses-to-the-miracle-of-life-we-see-the-stars/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) [Browse all 6,190 Astronomy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In 1999, my team discovered that the star Upsilon Andromedae was circled by three gas-giant planets - the first distant multiplanet system ever found. 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