400 years from seeing our own solar system’s planets to seeing planets around other stars

Lets go back 400 years The spectacle maker’s shop The spectacle maker’s shop Florentine rivet bone or ivory spectacle frame late 15th c.

Galileo’s telescopes Very crude instrument by today’s standards. Very crude instrument by today’s standards. Magnified between 8x to 30x Magnified between 8x to 30x He made several that he gave to his sponsors He made several that he gave to his sponsors

Replica

Comparisons with a reproduction of his telescope First quarter moon One of Galileo’s drawingsWhat he probably saw. His telescope only would let him see small portions at a time.

Galileo’s key observations Craters on the moon Craters on the moon Moons of Jupiter Moons of Jupiter Phases of Venus Phases of Venus Sunspots Sunspots Milky Way made up of stars Milky Way made up of stars

Star Party in 1609 "Vies des Savants Illustres" by Louis Figuier (Paris, 1870)

Let’s jump back just 40 years… Amateur telescopes and CCD cameras Amateur telescopes and CCD cameras Can now take better pictures than professional observatories did Can now take better pictures than professional observatories did Still contribute large amounts of supplemental data to ongoing professional research Still contribute large amounts of supplemental data to ongoing professional research

Then & now 1967 “best” professional picture (Kitt Peak) ATMoB/NSAAC member John Boudreau, taken in The Explosion of Science, Meredeth Press

Exoplanets First one (confirmed) discovered in1992 First one (confirmed) discovered in1992 Current confirmed count is 228 Current confirmed count is 228 November’s announcement not the first ones to be photographed November’s announcement not the first ones to be photographed Just the least controversial Just the least controversial

Potential exoplanets from 2004 &

To better understand these newest pictures we need to look at how planets may be formed To better understand these newest pictures we need to look at how planets may be formed …and to understand that we really have to look at how stars form as well …and to understand that we really have to look at how stars form as well

Simulation of the formation of a cluster of new stars clickme

Orion Nebula Referred to as a “Stellar Nursery” Referred to as a “Stellar Nursery” Large (25 light years in size) cloud of dust and gas about 1270 light years away Large (25 light years in size) cloud of dust and gas about 1270 light years away About 700 stars being formed About 700 stars being formed Ages between 10,000 and 100,000 years Ages between 10,000 and 100,000 years

Flying to the Orion Nebula

New stars in the Orion nebula

Easier to see the stars in infrared instead of visible light

And compare to our simulation again

Another look at the formation process

Accretion…or not!

If our theories about planet formation are right we expect to see new stars ringed with dust If our theories about planet formation are right we expect to see new stars ringed with dust We see just that looking at Fomalhaut We see just that looking at Fomalhaut About 25 light years from Earth About 25 light years from Earth About twice the mass of our Sun About twice the mass of our Sun 100 to 300 million years old 100 to 300 million years old A coronagraph on the Hubble Space Telescope was used to block the star’s light in this picture so we can see the disc of material around it A coronagraph on the Hubble Space Telescope was used to block the star’s light in this picture so we can see the disc of material around it Planets are somewhere in size between Neptune and 3 times the size of Jupiter Planets are somewhere in size between Neptune and 3 times the size of Jupiter

At the same time that Fomalhaut’s planet was announced… A different set of scientists released this picture of a star called HR 8799 (in the constellation Pegasus) A different set of scientists released this picture of a star called HR 8799 (in the constellation Pegasus) Used a different technique call Adaptive Optics to remove the star’s light Used a different technique call Adaptive Optics to remove the star’s light 129 light years away 129 light years away About 1.5 times the size of our sun About 1.5 times the size of our sun 3 planets about 7 to 10 times the mass of Jupiter 3 planets about 7 to 10 times the mass of Jupiter The star is brighter, so even though they are farther from the star than our own Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus, temperatures on the planets would be similar The star is brighter, so even though they are farther from the star than our own Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus, temperatures on the planets would be similar

The End

Credits Pictures Pictures New stars: 22/ssc b.shtml New stars: 22/ssc b.shtmlhttp:// 22/ssc b.shtmlhttp:// 22/ssc b.shtml Hubble Telescope Hubble Telescope Sound effects: Sound effects: Music: Music: Joe Satriani: Hill of the Skull Joe Satriani: Hill of the Skull Ozric Tentacles: Dance of the Loomi, There’s a Planet Here Ozric Tentacles: Dance of the Loomi, There’s a Planet Here Talking Heads: Once in a Lifetime Talking Heads: Once in a Lifetime B52s: Planet Claire, There’s a Moon in the Sky Called the Moon B52s: Planet Claire, There’s a Moon in the Sky Called the Moon Andras Schiff/Mozart: Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman Andras Schiff/Mozart: Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman Zero 7: Polaris Zero 7: Polaris Smashmouth: Who’s There Smashmouth: Who’s There Animations: Animations: NASA NASA Hubble Telescope Hubble Telescope Solar system formation Solar system formation