David Charbonneau, detected an infrared light emitted by a warm object, a planet in the constellation Lyra. Dr. Charbonneau says the planets have been difficult to see in visible light because they are outshown by their stars, which are 10,000 times brighter. He says viewing the solar systems through the red tones of the infrared spectrum reduces the glare.

"If we put on our infrared goggles with the Spitzer Space Telescope, then suddenly the planet brightens up, and the contrast ratio, the difference in light between the star and planet is much, much more favorable, and we are to isolate that light from the planet directly and study it," he said.

The other team, led by Drake Deming – of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center – detected a light from yet another planetary system.