But several thousand other exoplanets – planets orbiting distant suns – are known to astronomers. Most exoplanets are found via the Transit MethodSome exoplanets are found via Radial Velocity (Wobble)A few exoplanets are found via Direct ImagingA few exoplanets are found via Gravitational MicrolensingOther exoplanets are found via AstrometryMost planets are found via the transit method. That’s why, although astronomers looked for exoplanets for many years, they didn’t begin to find them until the 1990s. Next, the exoplanets in that system must be far enough from the star so that astronomers can distinguish them from the star’s glare. Bottom line: The most popular methods of discovering exoplanets are the transit method and the wobble method, also know as radial velocity.