URL: https://physikseminar.desy.de/hamburg/colloquia_in_2009/feb_3_2009/@@siteview
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Hunting extrasolar planets 400 years after Galileo
Ansgar Reiners (Göttingen)
DESY auditorium, 17:00h
When will we find Earth II?
The invention of the telescope allowed Galileo to prove that Earth is not the centre of the Universe. It became clear that our planet is orbiting a star, the Sun. At all times people asked the question whether our planet (including us) is unique, or if other stars are orbited by similar outposts of life. By the year 2009 - the International Year of Astronomy - we know that extrasolar planets exist, and spectacular first direct images of extrasolar planets became available just recently. This talk will summarize our current knowledge about extrasolar planets, review astronomer's hunting methods, and outline future projects that are designed to prove what scientists and philosopher's have all times wondered about: The existence of a second Earth.
