Gas giant. From Saul Bass/Ray Bradbury short film, "Quest"
Artwork by Carl Martin |
Extrasolar Planets
Find out about planets that have already been discovered beyond our own star system.
Search for Other Earths
In the search for worlds like our own, find out what is required in the making of a habitable planet.
Solar Planets
Take a fresh look at the planets in our own, "home" star system.
The Gulf Between Stars
The space between star systems is hard to fathom without actually crossing those great, dark oceans of space. Visiting the worlds beyond our home system requires that we cross those vast distances. Short of flying your own starship, these pictures may help bridge the conceptual gap.
Stars and Planets Defined
What exactly are stars and planets? What are the terms used to label these heavenly bodies? Click here to find out more.
Planets vs. Iron Content
A recent study (D. Fischer, J. Valenti, and G. Marcy, 2004) has shown that, of the planets discovered so far, their suns tend to have greater iron content than those stars without planets. Said another way, it would seem that planets tend to form with greater frequency in star systems with greater iron content. The graph, below, shows the emerging relationship between stars with planets and their iron content.
From a chart by D. Fischer, J. Valenti, & G. Marcy. (2004). "Spectral Analysis of Stars on Planet-Search Surveys." IAU S219, Stars as Suns: Activity, Evolution and Planets, ASP Conference Series, ed. A.K. Dupree.
