How many Planets are in the Milky Way?

Our Sun (a star) and all the planets around it are part of a galaxy known as the Milky Way Galaxy.

[{"selector":"#anim-42cf14e8-9512-4b30-bed9-b74eb8b708df","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-8ffc926d-2080-43ec-a015-a15b6ba91ec9 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-12.499999772451451%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

A galaxy is a large group of stars, gas, and dust bound together by gravity.

[{"selector":"#anim-ce4b17d0-961c-48b8-8bf6-49cfd9b8c1da [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-21.874999829338588%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d7f3dff0-c0c1-46db-88fe-db48604be9ef","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]

The Milky Way is a large barred spiral galaxy.

[{"selector":"#anim-47adb450-1a61-4635-ab44-e058a56503e4 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-16.843261517556197%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0272d524-a84e-4468-9d22-87a2a634229a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]

Astronomers have discovered 5,502 planets around other stars (known as exoplanets) in the Milky Way.

[{"selector":"#anim-4f87c7a2-3255-44ed-86e9-fdbcc5a42e12 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-32.168749891800665%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b8ac9fb6-3f41-4401-814c-6d94540b67ce","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]

Add in the eight in our solar system (not nine, sorry Pluto), and that gives us a total of 5,510 known planets, all located in our own galaxy.

[{"selector":"#anim-f36e0a92-1787-4f02-9b93-31330841848d [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-24.391447213029352%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b48f48a0-5068-47a6-b926-add0931d56de","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]

Counting planets is a hard task, though, and astronomers are certain there are many more out there we haven't found yet.

[{"selector":"#anim-e96289a3-7d94-4f6a-8a20-dfb8d9ee719d [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-31.789062389496742%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8a30954e-0e9a-42f8-813c-5a7cdfb2051d","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]

Thank You!

[{"selector":"#anim-fbd6ac10-f229-4e34-9e3b-20e3c7729314 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-31.249999886225726%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9512513e-6154-47df-81db-0de9dea8137f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]