26
September 2002
Extrasolar planets: All our suns
About
100 extrasolar planets — or exoplanets — are now known. Most are comparable
in mass to Jupiter, with orbital periods of a few years or so. Closer study of
these planets is revealing diversity far beyond that expected by scientists, or
even science-fiction writers. Detection methods are continually improving and
the hunt is on for the holy grail of the field — a true analogue of our Solar
System, complete with Earth-like planet. Jack J. Lissauer discusses current and
future planet-hunting
techniques.
Extrasolar planets
JACK
J. LISSAUER
Natural philosophers have speculated on the existence of worlds
around other suns for millennia. Now that real data are available, we find a diversity
far beyond that expected by scientists, or science-fiction writers.
Nature
419, 355–358 (2002); doi:10.1038/419355a
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