Includes bibliographical references (pages 191-202) and index.
Contents:
World beyond expectation -- World obscuring -- Tempestuous world -- Glimmer of atmosphere -- World in reverse -- Flash from darkness -- World you can't set your watch by -- Contrasting sibling -- World like ours? -- Unseen embryo -- World through the blur -- Ember spat from a fire -- Lonely planet -- Dreich world? -- Cursed world -- World that's just right? -- World bombarded -- Dark cloak of death -- World torn asunder -- Diamond born from death -- Epilogue: yet more worlds.
Summary:
Thirty years ago, the only planets we knew were the ones orbiting our own sun; we now know of thousands of other worlds orbiting distant stars. In this book, astronomer Niall Deacon journeys to twenty of these globes: from giant, blisteringly hot planets orbiting close to their parent stars to planets that float through the cold wilderness of space alone, and from dead stars shredding asteroids to worlds made of diamond--and even planets that may be similar to the Earth. Deacon also takes in the latest exoplanet discoveries and explains how astronomers have come to learn so much about these strange and distant worlds. Twenty Worlds tells a sweeping story, of real planets around other stars, and it will fascinate a universe of fans of popular science and astronomy.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.