The Quest to Discover New Worlds: How We Take Pictures of Other Solar Systems

Clarissa Do Ó Postdoctoral Fellow / CalTech Astronomy

When we watch Star Wars or Star Trek, we see characters traveling between different solar systems, as if worlds that orbit around other stars are a given. But do the stars we see in the night sky really have their own planets, maybe even ones like Earth? Astronomers are on a quest to find that out using powerful telescopes to search for these distant worlds. In this talk, I will share how we can actually take pictures of other solar systems, including challenges that lie ahead on our quest for finding another Earth. And yes, you will even see a real image of another solar system! 

Recommended grade levels for this talk: 6th-8th