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Exoplanets: Diamond Worlds, Super Earths, Pulsar Planets, and the New Search for Life beyond Our Solar System, by Michael Summers, James T
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The past few years have seen an incredible explosion in our knowledge of the universe. Since its 2009 launch, the Kepler satellite has discovered more than two thousand exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system. More exoplanets are being discovered all the time, and even more remarkable than the sheer number of exoplanets is their variety. In Exoplanets, astronomer Michael Summers and physicist James Trefil explore these remarkable recent discoveries: planets revolving around pulsars, planets made of diamond, planets that are mostly water, and numerous rogue planets wandering through the emptiness of space. This captivating book reveals the latest discoveries and argues that the incredible richness and complexity we are finding necessitates a change in our questions and mental paradigms. In short, we have to change how we think about the universe and our place in it, because it is stranger and more interesting than we could have imagined.
- Sales Rank: #68478 in Books
- Published on: 2017-03-14
- Released on: 2017-03-14
- Original language: English
- Dimensions: 9.30" h x .90" w x 6.30" l, 1.25 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 224 pages
Review
BOOKLIST, Starred Review
The existence of planets outside Earth’s solar system was long assumed, and recent technologies, including improved telescopes and research satellites, have not only confirmed their existence but revealed all kinds of surprises. The first verified exoplanet, for instance, was orbiting “the wrong kind of star,” a pulsar, or what was left after a supernova that was supposed to blast to smithereens anything even close to resembling a planet. Meanwhile, the statuses of solar system objects besides the recognized planets were changing as water, indispensable for Earth-like life, was detected as superficial ice and subsurface oceans on some moons of Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune as well as on big bodies in the Kuiper Belt, such as the
demoted planet Pluto, which thereby regained its title. Astonishment continued as huge, rocky “Super Earths,” inexplicably light planets, pure-carbon diamond planets, planets circling more than one star, starhugging hot planets, and rogue planets unconnected to stars were detected. These revelations, how they were made, imaginative voyages to five un-Earthly types of planet, and their implications for life and intelligence elsewhere than on Earth are concisely illuminated by astrophysicists Summers and Trefil in this marvelously fascinating and wonderfully accessible illustrated book. — Ray Olson
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Readers tour several bizarre worlds in this slim read, as Summers and Trefil, professors of physics at George Mason University, show how “defining a ‘planet’ has been made significantly more difficult” in the exoplanet age. Astronomical investigations outside our celestial backyard are ripe with paradigm shifts because scientists suffered “the curse of the single example”: our solar system and carbon-based life. Detailed photos and illustrations aid “visits” to unusual worlds, including 55 Cancri e, where volcanoes spew liquid diamond; Kepler 186f, with its vast lagoons and black flora that absorb “what energy they can from the faint sun”; and a rogue planet wandering dark space, where any life “must see in the infrared” and be warmed by the planet’s core. The authors temper runaway imaginations with scientific uncertainties about each location, and they reexamine the Drake equation—used in the search for extraterrestrial life—in light of our current understanding of exosystem frequency and dynamics. Summers and Trefil write confidently and straightforwardly for lay readers, who will long ponder what planets circle other suns and the peculiar possibilities of life beyond our blue marble. Illus.
KIRKUS REVIEW
A comprehensive introduction to the thousands of newly discovered planets beyond our solar system, which are beautiful and mind-bending in their diversity—and those are just the ones we know of.
Though astronomers had long predicted that there were other solar systems out there, only in the past decade has satellite telescope technology been able to confirm the existence of an enormous number of exoplanets, “planets outside our solar system. Even more significant than their abundance is their diversity, and even more astonishing than their diversity is, in some cases, their very existence—many of these worlds defy what scientists thought they knew about what was possible about how planets form and behave. Planetary scientist Summers (Physics and Astronomy/George Mason Univ.), who has been a member of multiple NASA mission teams, and Trefil (Physics/George Mason Univ.; Space Atlas: Mapping the Universe and Beyond, 2016, etc.) take readers on an exhilarating tour of the universe as we now know it. In a series of chapters that detail a variety of recently detected planets, the authors provide both a history of exoplanet discovery and a look toward the future of the field (which just may bear fruit in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence). “If there really are rogue planets floating around just outside the solar systems,” they write, then perhaps “multigenerational starships…won’t be needed to reach them.” These otherworldly planets are dizzying in scope and are a wonderful feast for the imagination, even as the authors back up their imagery with the latest research findings. Also included are a number of photographs and illustrations that provide a welcome visual accompaniment to the lay-friendly text.
Space enthusiasts of all ages will enjoy this exploration into the farthest reaches of the universe and the cutting edge of astronomical research.
About the Author
MICHAEL SUMMERS is a planetary scientist and professor of physics and astronomy at George Mason University. Since 1989, he has served on the mission teams of several NASA space probes in the role of science planning and interpretation of spacecraft observations. He is currently a coinvestigator on the NASA New Horizons mission to the Pluto-Charon double planet, where he serves as the deputy lead of the Atmospheres Theme Team. JAMES TREFIL is Clarence J. Robinson Professor of Physics at George Mason University. He has written more than 50 books on science for a general audience. His writing has won the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award, the American Association for the Advancement of Science Westinghouse Science Journalism Award, and other honors.
Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
While I was asleep…
By John P. Jones III
… for the last half century, a revolution of Copernican proportions has occurred in the scientific understanding of the universe. Michael Summers and James Trefil have helped nudge Rip Van Winkle awake, commencing with the first chapter, appropriately named: “Not your grandfather’s galaxy.”
Indeed, it is not. For example, there is a lot of water in our solar system. Liquid water. And not on earth. While the “grandfathers” searched (and in some ways still do) for water on Mars, and to a lesser extent, Venus, it is Europa, a moon of Jupiter that contains a large quantity of liquid water – warmed by tidal forces – under an ice cap. Two other moons of Jupiter also possess liquid water, as does one of Saturn, and almost certainly the now “semi-planet” Pluto.
Are there planets outside our own solar system? It is no longer a matter of speculation. “Exoplanets,” those beyond our solar system not only exist, but are probably more numerous than the stars themselves. The certainty of these statements has only come about since 2009, and the launch of the Kepler space telescope. It has focused on a very small sector of our galaxy, detecting 4,000 exoplanets in four years of operation. Furthermore, there are almost certainly more planets roaming free in space, that is, not tethered to a star, than those that are.
How do we know this? I felt the authors provide concise and clear expositions of the methodologies for obtaining the new knowledge, along with the proper caveats that separate the degrees of certainty from varying hypothesis that the data suggests. For example: the primary method for detecting a planet is the “transit method”, that is, the dimming of the amount of light the earth receives from a given star as a particular planet passes in front of it. The scientists have set up a method to eliminate the “false positives,” that is, examining the other reasons that may have caused a dimming in the light – the authors note that our sun’s light fluctuates slightly, independent of planet transits. And there are other methods, for example, detecting a slight perturbation in the star’s position due to the gravitational pull of a planet. It did boggle my mind to think that we have evolved instruments that are sensitive enough, and focused enough, to detect either the dimming, or the perturbation.
Life? Given the amount of water, and the number of planets, it is very likely…perhaps more likely on Europa than on Mars even… and almost certainly in other solar systems. The Fermi paradox (named after Enrico Fermi, who postulated it in a very straightforward question at nearby Los Alamos) remains: So, why does it appear that we are alone in the universe? Life, of course can take many forms, and much may be like the bacteria that surround deep-sea vents on earth. Others planets may have only evolved to the “dinosaur” stage, and never went further, thus they developed no radio telescopes. The authors then posit the concept of a “great filter” that may have made human development unusual or “lucky,” compared to other more static systems. The most disturbing thought posited was that there may be a “great filter” in our future, as there have been on other planets, specifically: “Once an aggressive, warlike species discovers science, they are likely to turn their discoveries against one another and, in essence, wipe themselves out.” Thus, a given society might only have a couple of hundred years to send out signals to other planets. Gulp!
There is much, much else in this relatively short volume. The authors provide insights into the all-too-human astronomer’s conference where Pluto was demoted from its planetary status even though most astronomers did not agree with the demotion, or the process of demotion. The authors repeatedly used concepts such as stellar and surface “chauvinism” to prod the reader’s thinking. Why did all the ancient Greeks believe that the moon, sun, planets and stars circled the earth? Likewise, perhaps most of life in the universe is not on a planet’s surface, and life can be sustained by energy sources that are not stellar. The authors also describe individual planets that have been detected as archetypes for others, such as diamond planet, rogue planet and water world.
In terms of sheer new knowledge obtained, at least for this Rip, based on the number of words read, this is one of the densest and most satisfying of reads. 6-stars.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
The more we change or expand our views
By Natchmo
"Exoplanets" coming from "Smithsonian Books is neat. I thought I was a generally educated layman on astronomy among other things. Apparently, I’ve failed. For some reason I’ve mnssed much of the last 10 years of Hubble and Kepler, astronomy findings and interpretation . What’s next in upsetting our older universe. Simply, I’m out of date.
Where can I begin? Simply much of what we laypeople learned in school/college is outdated by new cosmological theories and interpretation. I do not know what is being taught on campuses today. but dig into this book.
Our Solar System? Nine planets? ‘Fraid not. Beginning with Pluto there are hundreds of thousand mini-planets in the outer system. Moons? Many more than we ever thought.
Where's the water? Not in the inner system but the outer system. Much is free water of some type under ice. All sorts of possibilities both in system and out.
Rouge planets - those flitting thru space without any connection to a star or an orbit. Now I learn plate tectonics among other methods can keep some of them warm and life is possible. There may be more of these than solar systems and planets throughout the universe. The search is just beginning. Now I understand some of the recent SF about rough landings on rouge planets with humans surviving and spreading. New ideas, new directions.
Planets? some very strange things. There is a planet circulating its sun in 17 hours. It is within the outer edge of the star’s photosphere. It is dark.
Formation theories? Change is the normal order of the day. And the future, searching for life on different forms of planets raises new ideas. The issues are the how and the what - all hypotheticals. A good introduction.
I rate this book a five. However I can’t figure out if this book is for AP Science, college introductory astronomy or just a general read for all us “uneducated" adults.. Your choice.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
A 5-Exoplanet - I Mean 5-Star - Rating! Absolutely Delightful! Feed Your Inner Nascent Astronomer!
By X. Fossor
This is a relatively slim volume on a fascinating subject. So already two things going for it. But the style and structure are also fantastic; the authors write in a relaxed and accessible style (so that those of us who have basic or limited knowledge in the area don't feel lost and overwhelmed) and the structure is such that it all makes sense (as the authors move from the history of exoplanets to a discussion that works its way outward from our solar system into the great beyond (no, not that Great Beyond!). Chapters 1-4 serve to introduce the subject and define the the "problem" (just what exactly is a planet, anyway?); chapter 5 discusses the hero of the day (the Kepler spacecraft), chapters 6-10 discuss really strange planets (and they are really strange); and chapters 11-14 (and epilogue) tie up the book with a discussion about life on Earth, life and intelligence elsewhere, and the Fermi Paradox (where is everybody?).
I think you'll find this a fun read. It took me a very relaxed 7-10 days to make my way through it. This is a book I think you'll want to mark up to spur on additional research and reading.
No major issues with the content, style, or structure whatsoever. I did have two quibbles, however (minor, to be sure). First, I think the jacket price is a bit steep (at $29.95). Amazon's pre-order price, I think, is far more reasonable ($21.40 at the time of this review).
Second, I wonder if the authors are aware of the underlying conceit in both time and space as they express their views. They admit that scientists have always been a bit chauvinistic and I believe they have tried very hard not to be. Yet it is there. So when I say "conceited in both time and space" I mean that they fall into the trap of writing in a way that says what we know today is what we KNOW (as opposed to what we postulate today; "conceit in time") and what we know we KNOW better than those other pretenders (say, theologians, philosophers, etc.; "conceit in space"). I'm being a little harsh here, but the point I want to make is that a little humility goes a long way. Science changes and it will change again. For example, if you compared what we "know" today to what was in the science textbooks I used in high school 40 years ago you'd wonder what those scientists back then were smoking (and they claimed they KNEW!). So saying "we believe," "we suspect," "the current thinking is..." goes much further (with me, anyway) than "we know."
But as I said, minor quibbles.
A fun read. A blast. Treat yourself. 5 stars. (Or should I say, "5 exoplanets!"?)
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