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A multiplicity of worlds: Other habitable planets
Author(s) -
Rushby Andrew
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
significance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.123
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 1740-9713
pISSN - 1740-9705
DOI - 10.1111/j.1740-9713.2013.00690.x
Subject(s) - planet , astrobiology , exoplanet , kepler 69c , pace , terrestrial planet , planetary habitability , astronomy , alien , physics , population , sociology , demography , census
The first planet orbiting another star was discovered in 1995. Since then some of Earth's most sensitive and far‐seeing eyes have been picking out alien worlds from across the vast gulf of space, at a steadily increasing pace. Most found so far are very large, very hot and not at all similar to Earth. But how representative is today's sample of extrasolar planets? And are Earth‐like planets likely to be found close enough for us to signal to them? Andrew Rushby gives some surprising answers.