The little book of exoplanets
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (pages 263-266) and indexes.

"The first detection in 1995 of a planet orbiting a sun-like star outside our solar system marked the dawn of a new age of discovery-one that has rapidly transformed astronomy and our broader understanding of our place in the universe. Nearly five thousand exoplanets have been identified since then, with the pace of discovery only accelerating following the launch of missions like NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Satellite Survey and others to come. We now know that most sun-like stars host their own systems of planets analogous to our solar system, and a few of these planets may potentially be like Earth. But arguably the most remarkable discoveries so far have been of planets with unexpected, decidedly un-Earth-like properties, which have upended what we thought we knew about the origins of planets and planetary systems. The Little Book of Exoplanets provides a concise, cutting-edge introduction to this field for general readers, written by leading Princeton exoplanet scientist Josh Winn. It offers an accessible view into the sophisticated detective work astronomers perform to detect and characterize exoplanets, and describes the surprising, sometimes downright bizarre planets and systems we have found. Winn explains how these discoveries are revolutionizing astronomy, and explores the current status and future of our search for another Earth. He concludes with a reflection on how our discovery of exoplanets changes our perspective on the universe"--,Provided by publisher.