Astronomers are on the verge of answering one of the most profound questions ever asked: are we alone in the universe? The ability to detect life in remote solar systems is at last within sight. Its discovery, even if only in microbial form, would revolutionize our self-image. Planet Hunters tells a delightful tale of smart-alec nerds, the search for extraterrestrial life and the history of an academic discipline.
Professional astronomer Lucas Ellerbroek takes readers on a fantastic voyage through space, time, history and the future. He describes the field of exoplanet research in its proper historical perspective, from the early ideas of sixteenth-century heretic Giordano Bruno and the rise of science fiction to the discovery of the first exoplanet in 1995 and the invention of the Kepler space telescope.
He travels the world to talk to leading scientists in the field, including first exoplanet discoverer Michel Mayor, NASA Kepler mission scientist Bill Borucki and MIT astrophysicist Sara Seager.
Presenting cutting-edge research in a dynamic, fun and accessible way, this book will appeal to everyone with an interest in astronomy and space.
Astronomer Lucas Ellerbroek is a researcher in comets and planet formation at the University of Amsterdam. He has written a number of popular articles on space exploration and is well known for his television appearances and TedX talks.
Introduction: New Marbles
1 The Century of Bruno
2 The Little Sand Reckoner
3 An Inquisitive Mind and Defective Sight
4 The Order of the Dolphin
5 The Tenacious Inventor
6 A Planet in Pegasus
7 The Hut in the Car Park
8 Goldilocks and the Red Dwarfs
9 Beer in Space
10 The Space Rebels
11 The Planetary Circus
Glossary of Terms
References
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Index