France, July 15 -- In October 1995, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz made a groundbreaking discovery: the first exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star. This moment marked the beginning of a new era in astronomy and planetary science, earning the Swiss pair the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics. In a recent visit to the Sorbonne, Queloz shared some of his insights with Radio France Internationale.
Since the first discovery, nearly 6,000 exoplanets have been confirmed, with thousands more candidates awaiting verification. Each one offers a small glimpse into the diversity of planetary systems across the galaxy.
While both Mayor and Queloz are Swiss, they come from the French-speaking region of Switzerland and have long-standing academic ties to Frenc...