October 28, 2022 8-10PM

Event Type: Lecture and Stargazing
Title: Finding Earth 2.0
Lecturer: Dimitri Mawet
Position: Faculty
Institution: Caltech
Abstract:
The Solar system is the only planetary system we had ever contemplated until the 1990s. After 30 years of relentless planet hunting, it is now just one example amongst a mind-boggling variety of systems that even the wildest science-fiction authors could ever have imagined: hellish hot Jupiters, Tatooine-like worlds, water-worlds, super-Earths, mini-Neptunes, and more! The vast majority of the 5000+ exoplanets found so far have been discovered indirectly by techniques looking at tiny variations in their host star’s motion and/or brightness. Only a small fraction of these 5000 exoplanets have had their picture taken, let alone analyzed for their surface conditions. Yet, taking direct pictures of exoplanets and analyzing their light with our most powerful telescopes is the only way astronomers will one day find an exoplanet the size of the Earth orbiting a quiet star like the Sun. When this day comes, the quest for finding Earth 2.0 may finally be over, potentially opening the next great chapter in our exploration of the cosmos.