Why are extrasolar planets difficult to photograph directly?

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Extrasolar planet Artist's conception of the extrasolar planet HD 209458b, some 150 light-years from Earth.

Extrasolar planets are extremely difficult to photograph directly primarily because they are much fainter than the stars they orbit. This vast difference in brightness makes it challenging to isolate the light of a planet from the overwhelming glare of its host star.1

While direct imaging is a recognized detection technique, it is most effective when targeting planets that orbit stars relatively close to the Sun. Furthermore, infrared imaging is specifically utilized to improve the chances of success, as it is particularly sensitive to detecting young, massive planets that are located far from their host stars.1