The Search for Exoplanets: What Astronomers Know

By: The Great Courses, Joshua N. Winn

Narrated by: Professor Joshua N. Winn

As recently as 1990, it seemed plausible that the solar system was a unique phenomenon in our galaxy. Thanks to advances in technology and clever new uses of existing data, now we know that planetary systems and possibly even a new Earth can be found throughout galaxies near and far.

We are living during a new golden age of planetary discovery, with the prospect of finding many worlds like Earth. Most of the thousands of planets we've detected can't be imaged directly, but researchers are able to use subtle clues obtained in ingenious ways to assemble an astonishing picture of planetary systems far different from our own. We are in the midst of an astronomical revolution, comparable to the Copernican revolution that established our current view of the solar system - and we invite you to take part.

Embark on this unrivaled adventure in 24 lectures by a veteran planet hunter. Designed for everyone from armchair explorers to serious skywatchers, The Search for Exoplanets follows the numerous twists and turns in the hunt for exoplanets - the false starts, the sudden breakthroughs, and the extraordinary discoveries. Explore systems containing super-Earths, mini-Neptunes, lava worlds, and even stranger worlds. You also get behind-the-scenes information on the techniques astronomers used to find evidence of planets at mind-boggling distances from our home base. Learn how astronomers determine how many planets are in a system as well as how large they are and the characteristics of their atmospheres. You will feel like Dr. Watson in the presence of Sherlock Holmes as Professor Winn extracts a wealth of information from a spectrum, a light graph, a diffraction pattern, and other subtle clues.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2015 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2015 The Great Courses

Fantastic lecture!

Probablythe best astronomical lecture I've heard as of yet! The professor that has narrated this lecturer doesn't 'dumb it down' for any such non science professionals such as myself. Can't wait to hear an updated version of this lecture in about 2025!

Loved it!

As a amateur astronomer and exoplanet fan, I absolutely loved it. It is fun to listen to, and dr Winn is very winning!

Very good! you will learn a lot

This is a great book for anyone wanting to understand what are exoplanets, where are they, how do we find them and where is that research going to take us.

Fascinating and well narrated

Recommended for astrogeeks (like me) who want a coherent deep dive into exoplanets. Well narrated

Exoplanets

Professional narrator is the professor. He did excellent job of narraration on his book and learned a lot of information.

Great if this is an area of interest!

I feel like to understand the mathematics discussed, you would want to have background in at lease college level algebra, but this is an enjoyable set of lectures on how exoplanets are found and what one would need to be like to support life like Earth.

Very interesting and clearly explained

This talk was very interesting, enlightening, clear, and fun. The lecturer did a great job of explaining concepts and introducing the listener to the newest research in exoplanatary science. Great work!

Excellent! Enjoyed it a great deal!

The author a top person in his field, therefore very knowledgeable on the subject matter. He is also an excellent narrator and did a very nice job. I have listened three times now and get something new out of it every time I listen. highly recommend this lecture / book!

Fascinating!

If you 1) love looking at the night sky, 2) love wondering what or who is out there, and 3) take interest in technical details at least of middle-level sophistication (for example, there are five different methods of planet-hunting, each treated in detail and involving their own brief physics lessons), I would recommend this listen for sure! The professor is very well-spoken and genial. And the subject matter is treated with an eye to the future — no arrogance at all in assuming that what's known today is anything close to what we'll know some day. It's the past, present and future of the exoplanet search. One note: if you are interested especially in the search for intelligent life, you may be left wanting more. The bulk of the course is the nuts and bolts of exoplanetary science, and it so happens that many planets found are not thought to be life candidates. But all the background knowledge will help you appreciate why it's so challenging to find life candidates. Our technological challenges so far have actually seemed biased against detecting such planets. I think it's a fascinating story, well-told.

Very cool

just finished the book as the "nearby" (cosmically speaking, 40LY) seven Planet system around a red dwarf.