Researchers say they may have identified up to 10,000 new exoplanets—planets outside our solar system—using a new AI-assisted detection method.

If confirmed, this discovery could more than double the number of known exoplanets, which currently stands at just over 6,000.

Scientists believe the Milky Way contains billions of these worlds, many still undiscovered or awaiting confirmation.

The findings could significantly advance the search for potentially habitable planets beyond Earth, USA Today has reported.

The announcement comes as NASA prepares for future missions, including the Roman Space Telescope, which is expected to help identify even more distant worlds.