Join Our Galactic Quest for Exoplanets

Posted By Susan Lendroth

2010/09/30 06:07 CDT

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By Susan Lendroth

Our timing couldn't have been better! Just when the astronomical community is buzzing with news of an exoplanet found in a star's habitable zone (Gliese 581g), the Planetary Society will co-sponsor a special event -- "Many Suns, Many Worlds: The Galactic Quest for Exoplanets" -- that will be streamed live on Monday, October 4.

Nearly 500 planets have been discovered orbiting stars other than our Sun. Billions may exist in the Milky Way alone. "Many Suns, Many Worlds: The Galactic Quest for Exoplanets" will explore both our understanding of the way planetary bodies form as well as the search to find them. Speakers will include Eric Ford, the University of Florida; Jason Wright, Penn State; Natalie Batalha, San Jose State University; and Mark Swain, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Our own executive director, Bill Nye, will help introduce the program.

If you live close to Pasadena, California, you can attend the event in person. It's free and will be held at Caltech's Beckman Auditorium. Click here for more information on attending the event in person. Otherwise, tune in to Ustream, Monday, October 4 at 8:00 pm Pacific Time for the 1.5 hour program, "Many Suns, Many Worlds: The Galactic Quest for Exoplanets."

The American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) and the Keck Institute for Space Studies are co-sponsoring the event.