.

\subsection{The \textit{Kepler} Mission}

The \textit{Kepler} mission was designed to search for Earth-like planets orbiting other stars. It was launched in 2009 and operated until 2018, when it ran out of fuel. During its mission, \textit{Kepler} discovered over 2,600 confirmed exoplanets and another 2,900 candidates. It also discovered a variety of other astronomical phenomena such as supernovae, quasars, and comets.