PRL-325 - Exoplanets: The Worlds of Other Stars

Course Description

Exoplanets: The Worlds of Other Stars | Explore the formation of planetary systems, the techniques used to find exoplanets, the types of exoplanets now known and the intriguing question of how many of them might be habitable. $33 includes $32 fee. Note: Requires membership in Peer Learning Partnership (PLP). Biannual membership is $30.

Learner Outcomes

Examine how to search for and find exoplanets, the current limits on such searches, and what this means for the likely abundance of exoplanets; Explore the wide diversity of currently known exoplanets and exoplanet systems and how these compare to our own solar system; Examine the difference between what is known about exoplanets and what is often inferred about their likely properties; Explore how the "habitable zone" depends on both the properties of stars and the planets around them, and why not all planets in such zones are likely to be "habitable"; Describe how exoplanet research continues to develop and helps address the likelihood of life elsewhere in our galaxy.