The Formation of Planetary Systems The Potential for the Creation of Anothe Habitable Planet from a Disk of Dust

摘要

Are any Earth-like planets orbiting stars outside of our Solar System? The answer to this longstanding question is at hand. Astronomers have discovered that planetary systems exist around more than 400 stars. Indirect evidence has confirmed the existence of most of these planetary systems. Observa-tions that show variations in light from the central star can indicate the effects of orbiting planets. We are now enter-ing a new era in which it will be possible to directly image exoplanets, which are planets orbiting stars other than the Sun.