Exploring Exoplanets
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.1903Keywords:
astronomy, exoplanets, physicsAbstract
An exoplanet is a planet that exists outside of our solar system. In the future, it is likely that humans will choose to live beyond the Earth, or will have to, and understanding the habitability of exoplanets can guide the process of inhabiting other solar systems. Exoplanets may be very similar to celestial bodies such as the Moon and Mars, but they are more difficult to study and travel to due to their distance from Earth. Public interest in exoplanets often takes the form of fictional planets in pop culture, such as Tatooine in Star Wars or Arrakis in Dune. The search for habitable exoplanets is connected to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence because these planets could be home to life. Each of these aspects helps to form our understanding of what exoplanets are, why they matter, and how we might continue our research and exploration of them. This paper explores several stages of exoplanet research in order to discuss the future of exoplanet research and space exploration.
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