Astrophysicists discover planets in extragalactic galaxies using microlensing

Astrophysicists have discovered for the first time a population of planets beyond the Milky Way galaxy. Using microlensing -- an astronomical phenomenon and the only known method capable of discovering planets at truly great distances from the Earth among other detection techniques -- researchers were able to detect objects in extragalactic galaxies that range from the mass of the Moon to the mass of Jupiter.