Exoplanet is a noun that refers to a planet that orbits outside the solar system.

Our word of the day combines the common English word ‘planet’ with the Greek prefix E-X-O, which means ‘outside.’ An exoplanet, in addition to being outside of our solar system, is usually also outside of our awareness.

Sometimes I enjoy gazing into the stars and wondering what kinds of exoplanets are out there. In particular, I wonder if on any of these planets that haven’t yet been discovered they’ve figured out how to put metal in a microwave.