Description: Astronomers are on the verge of answering one of our most profound questions: are we alone in the universe? The ability to detect life in remote solar systems is at last within sight, and its discovery--even if only in microbial form--would revolutionize our self-image. Planet Hunters is the rollicking tale of the search for extraterrestrial life and the history of an academic discipline.
Astronomer Lucas Ellerbroek takes readers on a fantastic voyage through space, time, history, and even to the future as he describes the field of exoplanet research, from the early ideas of sixteenth-century heretic Giordano Bruno to the discovery of the first exoplanet in 1995 to the invention of the Kepler Space Telescope. We join him on his travels as he meets with leading scientists in the field, including Michel Mayor, who discovered the first exoplanet, and Bill Borucki, principal investigator for NASA's Kepler mission. Taken together, the experiences, passion, and perseverance of the scientists featured here make the book an exciting and compelling read. Presenting cutting-edge research in a dynamic and accessible way, Planet Hunters is a refreshing look into a field where new discoveries come every week and paradigms shift every year.Brief description: Lucas Ellerbroek is an astronomer and researcher in comet and planet formation at the University of Amsterdam.
Review Quotes: Twenty years ago, humankind did not know whether most stars have planets or whether our Sun was unique with its array of orbiting planets. Today we know that most stars have planets ('exoplanets'), many of the planets are Earth-size, and that there are billions of Earth-size planets orbiting in the habitable zone where life might evolve. Planet Hunters provides dozens of delightful (and sometimes humorous) histories of individuals who thought and wrote about planets and life around other stars before the recent discoveries provided facts. . . . Planet Hunters is both informative and a pleasure to read. I highly recommend it."--William J. Borucki, Kepler Principal Investigator, NASA Ames Research Center