PAOC Spotlights

3 Questions: Sara Seager on searching for Earth-like planets

Thu October 7th, 2010
MIT News Office - David L. Chandler

PAOC planetary scientist discusses projects that aim to discover distant planets similar to our own, and what we can learn when we find them...Professor Sara Seager has been studying exoplanets — planets circling stars other than the sun — for many years. The first such planet was discovered just 15 years ago, and now more than 400 others are known. This week, a paper co-authored by Seager and NASA scientist Drake Deming in the journal Nature reviews what we know about exoplanets so far, what we can expect to learn about them in the next decade or so, and the chances for finding a twin of our own planet. She has also just published an online book to answer questions about exoplanets and the lessons they hold.

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