Hugh Osborn, a PhD student on the WASP project at Warwick University, has produced a graphic illustrating the “gold rush” of exoplanet detection in recent times.

The animation shows the planet masses and orbital periods against year of discovery.

The symbols are colour-coded according to detection method. The WASP project is responsible for a large fraction of the transiting (green symbol) “hot Jupiters” — massive, short-period planets at upper-left. Kepler has found most of the other transiting exoplanets. For more explanation see Hugh’s blog.