An introduction to exoplanets

Introduction

This is the final week of your introduction to exoplanet science, and this week you’ll be looking at the future of the field. There’s a lot to be excited about, and much potential for groundbreaking discoveries over the next few years. We hope you’ve enjoyed this course and that you’ll be keeping an eye on future developments!

Watch the following video with Carole Haswell.

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By the end of this week, you will be able to:

  • explain why it is likely that nearby stars host exoplanets
  • describe the 2016 planet search around Proxima Centauri
  • explain the importance of the Kepler-444 planetary system
  • summarise prospects for extraterrestrial life
  • be familiar with Gaia, TESS, JWST, PLATO, Twinkle and ARIEL
  • describe current and future possibilities for direct imaging of exoplanets.