The Exoplanet Atlas

Wired recently put out THIS great graphic that illustrates in a layman-friendly way a lot of facts about the most interesting known exoplanets. Relatively sizes, distances, and temperatures, plus a quick primer on how exoplanets are discovered.

Exoplanets is one of the most exciting fields of astronomical study, and the one that may have the most long-range benefits. In terms of not only possibly finding other Earth-like worlds and alien life, but in more fully understanding the genesis and development of our own solar system. Plus of course there's the possibility, many centuries from now, our descendants may be visiting or perhaps even living on or around these far-off planets.

Anyway, check out the graphic!

400+ Exoplanets and counting

According to THIS article, 32 newly confirmed exoplanets have been added to the ever-growing list, thanks to the efforts of astronomers at the European South Observatory. Most significant here is the fairly large percentage of 'super-earths' discovered, planets that are much more massive than Earth, but are not big enough to be gas giants. If these are fairly common, than that means that smaller terrestial planets like the kind we are familiar with must be a standard feature in most star systems.

I would put a cautionary asterix next to the statement in the article by astronomer Alan Boss that, "The universe must indeed be crowded with habitable worlds." While I think most of us would indeed hope that's the case, there's still no real evidence for that. The universe seems to be a very hostile place, and even a plentitude of terrestrial planets does not automatically guarantee a plentitude of life. A lot can still go wrong in the billions of years that are needd for life to evolve, even if it does arise on any world. I'm not saying that life-bearing worlds aren't out there, I'm just saying we need more evidence before we can say that the universe is crowded or not with them

Visit EXOSOLAR.NET--An Interactive Flash Starchart

EXOSOLAR.NET

This is by far one of the neatest things I've found online in a long time.

EXOSOLAR.NET is a professionally done, interactive animated starchart showing the stellar neighborhood around our solar system. You can zoom in and out, rotate the view, toggle close-ups of known star systems with exoplanets or binaries, and more! An invaluable resource for anyone into astronomy, space exploration, or science fiction.

When I was young and imagined zooming around interstellar space in a starship, this is the kind of navigational aid I imagined starpilots would reference. Okay, it might not be quite as detailed as all that (its has excellent data on stars within about 30 light years, but it thins out significantly after that--though you can find the occasional far-off straggler on the charts like Betelgeuse at 427 ly and Deneb at 1600 ly) but it was still enough to get my sense of wonder going. Check t out.