Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton (AAAP) Monthly Meeting

For centuries, people have wondered whether the stars in the sky harbor planets of their own. Astronomers began discovering such "exoplanets" in the 1990s, and by this point, more than 6,000 are known. One reason to study exoplanets is to learn about the process of planet formation; another is to seek planets that might be suitable for life as we know it. This presentation will concentrate on a less scientific reason: to try 'confirming' science fiction. Does the universe really contain lava-covered planets, planets with two Suns, planets near black holes, and other worlds familiar from science fiction?