2. How do we study other
solar systems?
For years scientists have
studied our own solar system
The first extra solar planets
were discovered in 1995
Using infrared space telescopes
make planets clear to see
Planets around other stars are
hard to find
Astronomers map out solar
systems
3. What do we know about other solar
systems?
The sun is only one of 200
billion stars
It was the 1990s when
astronomers found strong
evidence of planets around
other stars
Stars have a lot to do with
solar systems
Astronomers have so far found
over 500 solar systems, they
4. What types of planets are
we able to locate?
Terrestrial Planets
Also known as “rocky planets”
Composed primarily of metal, rock, and have
very high density
Have slow periods of rotation
Tend to be small
Very few satellites or moons
Gas Giants
Only extra-solar planets that scientists have
been able to discover as of yet
Low density-composed almost completely of
5. More planets that we
are able to locate:
Gas Giants Continued
Huge
In the middle, these planets have a
“rocky center”
○ Not made of rock
○ Made of heavy molten metal and
liquid compounds
Planetoids
Group of objects too small to be
planets and too large to be asteroids
Thousands of these objects are
orbiting the edge of our solar system
right now
6. Tools that we use for
investigating:
They use Infrared Space Telescopes
which make planets clearer and
easier to view.
7. Hot Jupiters
Hot jupiters are Jupiter-sized exoplanets
Hot jupiters are Jupiter-sized exoplanets that
orbit very close to their star.
Sometimes they orbit their star the wrong
direction
One method that is used to find them is called
the “wobble method.” Basically, astronomers
use the wobble motion induced on a star by it’s
planet’s gravity to detect the presence of the
huge planet. If the star is really wobbly, the
closer and larger the planet is.
There are also “warm jupiters” which orbit
farther away from their stars
There are other hot or warm planets too, like
9. Bibliography
"A map of all the water in the solar
system." io9. We come from the future.. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2012.
<http://io9.com/5827649/a-map-of-all-the-
water-in-the-solar-system>.
"Scale of Universe - Interactive Scale of the
Universe Tool." Scale of Universe - Interactive
Scale of the Universe Tool. N.p., n.d. Web. 20
Apr. 2012. http://scaleofuniverse.com/
"Solar Systems." Space Place - NASA. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 1920.
<spaceplace.nasa.gov/review/dr-marc-
space/solar-systems-in-galaxy.html>.
