Exoplanets, or extrasolar planets are one of the newest frontiers of planetary science!  

Learners will explore what exoplanets are, how we find them, their fascinating properties, and how the discovery of these strange worlds and their solar systems is changing our understanding of planetary system formation. We will look at the composition, atmospheres, orbits, and many properties of known exoplanets. 

We will examine questions such as:

What is a planet?
How do scientists find exoplanets?
How do planets form?
Do planets migrate in their star system?
Do planets have to be orbiting a star?
What exoplanets do we know of?

This is a highly interactive course. Students will learn through an image and video filled presentation and discussion. Students’ participation and questions are regularly encouraged. 

There is no textbook. All necessary learning materials will be provided in the classroom.

Week One – Introduction to Planetology
Week Two – Detection, and Past and Current Missions
Week Three – Hot Jupiters, Cold Gas Giants, and Ice Giants
Week Four – Ocean Worlds, Rocky Planets, Lava Worlds, and Nomads

There are no prerequisites for this class, just a love of learning and curiosity about astronomy and outer space. While we may discuss some of the mathematics used in space and planetary science, learners will not need to use math in this course.