Twenty Worlds: The Extraordinary Story of Planets Around Other Stars (Universe)

Thirty years ago, the only planets we knew were the ones orbiting our own sun; we now know of thousands of other worlds orbiting distant stars. In this book, astronomer Niall Deacon journeys to twenty of these globes: from giant, blisteringly hot planets orbiting close to their parent stars to planets that float through the cold wilderness of space alone, and from dead stars shredding asteroids to worlds made of diamond—and even planets that may be similar to the Earth. Deacon also takes in the latest exoplanet discoveries and explains how astronomers have come to learn so much about these strange and distant worlds. Twenty Worlds tells a sweeping story, of real planets around other stars, and it will fascinate a universe of fans of popular science and astronomy. Thirty years ago the only planets we knew were the ones orbiting our own Sun; we now know of thousands of other worlds orbiting distant stars. In this book astronomer Niall Deacon journeys to twenty of these globes: from giant, blisteringly hot planets orbiting close to their parent stars to planets that float through the cold wilderness of space alone, and from dead stars shredding asteroids to worlds made of diamond and even planets that may be similar to the Earth. Deacon also takes in the latest exoplanet discoveries, and explains how astronomers have come to learn so much about these strange and distant worlds. Twenty Worlds tells a sweeping story, of real planets around other stars, and appeals to the wide audience for popular science and astronomy. Cover Title Page Copyright Page Contents Preface Introduction: An Ordered Family Portrait Alien Worlds 1. A World beyond Expectation 2. A World Obscuring 3. A Tempestuous World 4. A Glimmer of Atmosphere 5. A World in Reverse Towards Earth 6. A Flash from Darkness 7. A World You Can’t Set Your Watch By 8. A Contrasting Sibling 9. A World Like Ours? Birth 10. An Unseen Embryo 11. A World through the Blur 12. An Ember Spat from a Fire 13. A Lonely Planet 14. A Dreich World? Life 15. A Cursed World 16. A World that’s Just Right? 17. A World Bombarded Death 18. A Dark Cloak of Death 19. A World Torn Asunder 20. A Diamond Born from Death Epilogue: Yet More Worlds Appendix: The Twenty Worlds References Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index Thirty years ago the only planets we knew were the ones orbiting our own sun; we now know of thousands of other worlds orbiting distant stars. In this book astronomer Niall Deacon journeys to twenty of these globes: from giant, blisteringly hot planets orbiting close to their parent stars to frozen planets that float through space alone, and from dead stars shredding asteroids to worlds made of diamond and even planets that may be similar to the Earth. Deacon also takes in the latest exoplanet discoveries, and explains how astronomers have come to learn so much about these strange and distant worlds. Twenty Worlds tells a sweeping story, of real planets around other stars, and appeals to the wide audience for popular science and astronomy A sweeping story of twenty real worlds orbiting other stars.