400 years from seeing our own solar system’s 400 years from seeing our own solar system’s planets to seeing planets around other starsplanets to seeing planets around other stars

Lets go back 400 years The spectacle maker’s shopThe spectacle maker’s shop

http://brunelleschi.imss.fi.it

Florentine rivet bone or ivory

spectacle frame late 15th c.

4248__dobroide__horse.cart_cobbles.mp3

Galileo’s telescopes

Very crude instrument by today’s Very crude instrument by today’s standards. standards. Magnified between 8x to 30xMagnified between 8x to 30x

He made several that he gave to his He made several that he gave to his sponsorssponsors

http://galileo.rice.edu/index.html

Replicahttp://brunelleschi.imss.fi.it

Comparisons with a reproduction of his telescope

First quarter moon

http://www.pacifier.com/~tpope/index.htm

One of Galileo’s drawings What he probably saw.

His telescope only would let him see small portions at a time.

Galileo’s key observations

Craters on the moonCraters on the moonMoons of JupiterMoons of JupiterPhases of VenusPhases of VenusSunspotsSunspotsMilky Way made up of starsMilky Way made up of stars

http://www.hps.cam.ac.uk/starry/galileo.html

http://www.pacifier.com/~tpope/index.htm

Star Party in 1609

"Vies des Savants Illustres" by Louis Figuier (Paris, 1870)

Let’s jump back just 40 years…

Amateur telescopes and CCD camerasAmateur telescopes and CCD camerasCan now take better pictures than Can now take better pictures than

professional observatories didprofessional observatories didStill contribute large amounts of supplemental Still contribute large amounts of supplemental

data to ongoing professional researchdata to ongoing professional research

Then & now

1967 “best” professional picture (Kitt Peak)

ATMoB/NSAAC member John Boudreau, taken in 2006

http://www.spacescenes.com/The Explosion of Science, Meredeth Press

Exoplanets First one (confirmed) discovered in1992First one (confirmed) discovered in1992 Current confirmed count is 228Current confirmed count is 228 November’s announcement not the first ones to November’s announcement not the first ones to

be photographedbe photographed Just the least controversialJust the least controversial

http://exoplanets.org/

Potential exoplanets from 2004 & 2005

http://www.eso.org/

To better understand these newest To better understand these newest pictures we need to look at how planets pictures we need to look at how planets may be formedmay be formed

……and to understand that we really have to and to understand that we really have to look at how stars form as welllook at how stars form as well

Simulation of the formation of a cluster of new stars

clickme

Orion Nebula

Referred to as a “Stellar Nursery”Referred to as a “Stellar Nursery”Large (25 light years in size) cloud of dust Large (25 light years in size) cloud of dust

and gas about 1270 light years awayand gas about 1270 light years awayAbout 700 stars being formedAbout 700 stars being formed

Ages between 10,000 and 100,000 yearsAges between 10,000 and 100,000 years

Flying to the Orion Nebula

New stars in the Orion nebula

Easier to see the stars in infrared instead of visible light

And compare to our simulation again

Another look at the formation process

Accretion…or not!

If our theories about planet formation are right If our theories about planet formation are right we expect to see new stars ringed with dustwe expect to see new stars ringed with dust

We see just that looking at We see just that looking at FomalhautFomalhaut About 25 light years from EarthAbout 25 light years from Earth About twice the mass of our SunAbout twice the mass of our Sun 100 to 300 million years old100 to 300 million years old A A coronagraphcoronagraph on the Hubble Space Telescope was on the Hubble Space Telescope was

used to block the star’s light in this picture so we can used to block the star’s light in this picture so we can see the disc of material around itsee the disc of material around it

Planets are somewhere in size between Neptune and Planets are somewhere in size between Neptune and 3 times the size of Jupiter3 times the size of Jupiter

At the same time that Fomalhaut’s planet was announced…

A different set of scientists released this picture A different set of scientists released this picture of a star called HR 8799 (in the constellation of a star called HR 8799 (in the constellation Pegasus)Pegasus)

Used a different technique call Used a different technique call Adaptive OpticsAdaptive Optics to remove the star’s lightto remove the star’s light

129 light years away129 light years away About 1.5 times the size of our sunAbout 1.5 times the size of our sun 3 planets about 7 to 10 times the mass of Jupiter3 planets about 7 to 10 times the mass of Jupiter

The star is brighter, so even though they are farther The star is brighter, so even though they are farther from the star than our own Saturn, Neptune, and from the star than our own Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus, temperatures on the planets would be similarUranus, temperatures on the planets would be similar

http://www.keckobservatory.org/article.php?id=231

The End

Credits PicturesPictures

New stars: New stars: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2005-22/ssc2005-22bhttp://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2005-22/ssc2005-22b.shtml.shtml

Hubble TelescopeHubble Telescope http://www.solarviews.com/http://www.solarviews.com/

Sound effects: Sound effects: http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/ihttp://freesound.iua.upf.edu/i Music:Music:

Joe Satriani: Hill of the SkullJoe Satriani: Hill of the Skull Ozric Tentacles: Dance of the Loomi, There’s a Planet HereOzric Tentacles: Dance of the Loomi, There’s a Planet Here Talking Heads: Once in a LifetimeTalking Heads: Once in a Lifetime B52s: Planet Claire, There’s a Moon in the Sky Called the MoonB52s: Planet Claire, There’s a Moon in the Sky Called the Moon Andras Schiff/Mozart: Ah, vous dirai-je, MamanAndras Schiff/Mozart: Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman Zero 7: PolarisZero 7: Polaris Smashmouth: Who’s ThereSmashmouth: Who’s There

Animations:Animations: NASANASA Hubble TelescopeHubble Telescope Solar system formation Solar system formation http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/