|
|
Hunt for Alien Worlds
|
|
|
|
Program Overview
|
|
|
Are there other planets like Earth? This possibility has engaged people for
centuries. Millions of stars fill the universe but, as far as astronomers know,
only our Sun is encircled by a planetary system. However, theories about how
stars like our Sun formed indicate that planets are a natural by-product,
making it likely that other planetary systems exist. Searching for evidence of
planets outside our solar system isn't easy. Trying to detect a planet next to
a distant star is like trying to spot a firefly next to a flood light. NOVA
investigates recent discoveries of planets outside our solar system that could
revolutionize theories about planets and the existence of life elsewhere in the
universe.
|
|
