Hunting for Habitable Planets

For thousands of years people have wondered, “Are we alone?” Out of the 500 planets so far known to orbit nearby stars, about 100 transit their host stars, that is, the planet goes in front of its star as seen from Earth.

The transiting planets are “goldmines” for astronomers, because the planetary sizes, masses, and atmospheres can be routinely measured. NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope is further revolutionizing transiting exoplanet studies with its unprecedented photometric precision.

On Wednesday, January 26, as part of Perimeter Institute’s Public Lecture Series presented by Sun Life Financial, Kepler Science Team member Dr. Sara Seager will share her unique insights into recent Kepler announcements, and detail pioneering technology developments that will fuel the search for life on other worlds.

Professor Seager has been a pioneer in the vast and unknown world of exoplanets, planets that orbit stars other than the sun. Her ground-breaking research ranges from the detection of exoplanet atmospheres, to innovative theories about life on other worlds, to development of novel nanosatellite space telescopes. Now, like an astronomical Indiana Jones, she’s on a quest after the field’s Holy Grail – the discovery of a true Earth twin. Dr. Seager earned her PhD from Harvard University and is now the Ellen Swallow Richards Professor of Planetary Science and a Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Prof. Seager’s lecture, entitled “Exoplanets and the Search for Habitable Worlds” will be held Wednesday, January 26 at 7:00 pm in Waterloo, Ontario. Tickets will be available starting Monday, January 10th, 2011.

Further details can be found at www.perimeterinstitute.ca.

Media Inquiries: Lisa Lambert, llambert@perimeterinstitute.ca 519.569.7600 x5051.

About Perimeter Institute
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) is an independent, non-profit, scientific research organization working to advance our understanding of physical laws and develop new ideas about the very essence of space, time, matter and information. Located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, PI also provides a wide array of research training and educational outreach activities to nurture scientific talent and share the importance of discovery and innovation among students, teachers and the general public. In partnership with the Governments of Ontario and Canada, PI is a successful example of public-private collaboration in scientific research, training and outreach.

Media Contact

Lisa Lambert Newswise Science News

All latest news from the category: Physics and Astronomy

This area deals with the fundamental laws and building blocks of nature and how they interact, the properties and the behavior of matter, and research into space and time and their structures.

innovations-report provides in-depth reports and articles on subjects such as astrophysics, laser technologies, nuclear, quantum, particle and solid-state physics, nanotechnologies, planetary research and findings (Mars, Venus) and developments related to the Hubble Telescope.

Back to home

Comments (0)

Write a comment

Newest articles

Distance learning can improve women’s access to vocational training as animal health care practitioners in Nepal. Image Credit: Heifer International

Hybrid Job Training Boosts Women’s Participation in Nepal

Globally, women’s workforce participation is about 25% lower than men’s, often due to barriers such as domestic responsibilities and cultural norms. Vocational training can increase employment opportunities, but women may…

CO2release increase under repeated drying-rewetting cycles (DWCs). Image Credit: Suzuki, Nagano et al., 2025 SOIL

Drying and Rewetting Cycles Boost Soil CO2 Emissions

Niigata, Japan – The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released by microbial decomposition of soil organic carbon on a global scale is approximately five times greater than the amount of…

A new drug delivery system shows promise for treating a rare, aggressive form of cancer affecting pregnant women and new mothers. Oregon State's Olena Taratula and collaborators including OSU postdoctoral researcher Babak Mamnoon and Maureen Baldwin, a physician at Oregon Health & Science University, designed a type of drug nanocarrier known as a polymersome to specifically target a protein in choriocarcinoma cells. Depicted is a polymersome with its methotrexate cargo. Illustration by Parinaz Ghanbari. Image Credit: Parinaz Ghanbari

Improved Treatment Method for Rare Pregnancy-Related Cancer

PORTLAND, Ore. – A new drug delivery system shows promise for treating a rare, aggressive form of cancer affecting pregnant women and new mothers, and it has potential with other…