Exploring Rocky Worlds: On the Precipice of a New Frontier
Katherine Bennett, Johns Hopkins University
The simple, significant question, "Do other planets like Earth exist?" has slowly pushed from science fiction speculation into serious scientific inquiry. Having discovered thousands of planets around other stars, astronomers now think rocky planets are common in our Milky Way galaxy. The detailed and difficult exploration of these small worlds is boosted by the James Webb Space Telescope's ability to examine their atmospheres. Are these atmospheres thin and cold like Mars, thick and hot like Venus, or perhaps just right for life, like Earth? These answers will come over the next several decades as we survey and measure the landscape of rocky planets, and take important steps toward understanding habitability in the Milky Way.
4:39 - News from the Universe
15:35 - Main talk
1:14:33 - Live Q&A
Host: Frank Summers, Space Telescope Science Institute
Recorded live on Tuesday, April 4, 2023
More information: www.stsci.edu/public-lectures
#STScI #galaxies #astronomy #space #telescopes #MilkyWay #RockyPlanets #NASAWebb #JWST
