KECK INSTITUTE FOR SPACE STUDIES

       

Many Suns, Many Worlds: The Galactic Quest for Exoplanets Many Suns, Many Worlds: The Galactic Quest for Exoplanets

Speakers:

  • Professor Eric Ford - University of Florida
  • Professor Jason Wright - Pennsylvania State University
  • Professor Natalie Batalha - San Jose State university
  • Dr. Mark Swain - NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  • Special welcome by Bill Nye the Science Guy

Abstract:

Worlds like "Hot Jupiters" and "Super Earths" don't exist in our own solar system, but have been found in our very own galaxy. Astronomers have confirmed that 490 planets (and counting!) have been discovered outside our solar system. There may be billions of these "exoplanets" inhabiting the Milky Way alone. What do these discoveries, if anything, tell us about our place in the universe?

The Planetary Society, the American Astronomical Society's Division of Planetary Sciences, and the Keck Institute for Space Studies invite you to "Many Suns, Many Worlds: The Galactic Quest for Exoplanets," a free event on Monday, October 04, 2010 at Caltech in Pasadena. Four leading experts in the field will review how exoplanets form, the latest techniques used to go exoplanet hunting, and how to determine what type of exoplanet has been found.




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