Looking for Earths

About this book

"Fifty years of intensive searching for other solar systems produced no credible claim for an extrasolar planet. Then, in the last two exciting years, several teams of astronomers around the globe caught the first glimpses of a rich crop of giant, Jupiter-sized gas planets - the first compelling evidence that not only are there others Earth-like planets, but that they may well be more plentiful than ever imagined." "With an insider's perspective, prominent planetary scientist Alan Boss takes you to the front lines of this ongoing race for discovery, revealing the behind-the-scenes story of scientific determination, frustration, and triumph." "Along the way we meet all the major players, from astronomer Peter van de Kamp, whose dreams of discovery lived on undeterred even after years of painstaking observations proved futile, to maverick NASA administrator Daniel Goldin, who dared to suggest in 1992 that "perhaps, just perhaps, the next generation's legacy will be an image of a planet 30 light years from Earth." We watch as the brilliant innovators Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz invent a new method for detection and, defying all odds, make the first major discovery by looking in territory where seasoned astronomers said no planets could ever be found."--Jacket.