Exoplanets: Worlds beyond Our Solar System

Kenney, Karen Latchana

ISBN 10: 1512400866 ISBN 13: 9781512400861

Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books ™, 2017

Synopsis

Until the mid-1990s, scientists only guessed that the universe held exoplanets, or planets beyond our solar system. But using advanced physics and powerful telescopes, scientists have since identified more than three thousand exoplanets. This work has revealed fascinating worlds, including a planet that oozes lavalike fluids and a planet that glows bright pink.

Even more fascinating, scientists think that some exoplanets might contain life. Many orbit in the Goldilocks zone, the region around a star that's not too hot or too cold for liquid water, a key ingredient for life. This book examines exoplanets, the possibilities for life beyond Earth, and the cutting-edge technologies scientists use to learn about distant worlds.

About this title

About the Author

Karen Latchana Kenney was born near the rainforests of Guyana, but moved far north to Minnesota at a young age. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor's degree in English and has been writing and editing since. She has worked as an editor at an educational publishing company, but is now a full-time freelance writer and editor in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has written more than 70 books on all kinds of subjects: from arts and crafts to biographies of famous people. Her books have received positive reviews from Booklist, Library Media Connection, and School Library Journal. When she's not busy writing, she loves biking and hiking with her husband and young son in the many beautiful parks of the state. Visit her online at http://latchanakenney.wordpress.com/.

Reviews

Gr 7–10—Meet GJ 504b (the Pink Planet), 55 Cancri e (the Oozer), TrES-4 (the Cork Planet), and other exoplanets recently identified and now chronicled in this slim volume. This deceptively small book is packed with current information on exoplanets—those planets orbiting stars beyond our own solar system. Kenney gives a nuts and bolts account of how they came to be discovered. Before that, a brief history of astronomy, including the birth of the telescope, is discussed. The best hope for extraterrestrial life is the so-called Goldilocks zone, a habitable area that is neither too hot nor too cold for sustaining life. The author explains that while humans will not be able to visit an exoplanet anytime soon, as technology improves, scientists will be better able to understand exoplanets. While the hard science here can be a bit dense, charts, photos, and artists' renderings abound and help clarify the topic. VERDICT Perfect for outer space enthusiasts and out of this world for report writers.—Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI

Edition details

• Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books ™
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1512400866
• ISBN 13: 9781512400861
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 88