Through four decades of space exploration and ever-better telescopes, astronomers have searched in vain, unable to find even a single planet orbiting any of the myriad of sunlike stars strewn through the Milky Way. All of this changed in October 1995, when astronomers announced the first planet discovered orbiting another sunlike star. Worlds Unnumbered captures the excitement and explains the significance of these new worlds, with an up-to-the-last-planet account that gives the general reader a vivid picture of the new planets - planets that have already amazed astronomers for their colossal size and orbits that seem impossibly close to their respective suns. Many of the new planets are more massive than Jupiter, yet orbit their stars at distances far less than the distance of the sun to its closest planet. With theories of planet formation, the immense difficulties of observing extrasolar planets, and the prospects for future discoveries of Earthlike planets, Worlds Unnumbered's fast-paced narrative provides its readers with key insights into the question that has fascinated humanity for millennia: Are we alone in the cosmos? And if not, how far must we look to find our closest neighbor?
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Only a few years ago, astronomers were uncertain whether planets might orbit stars other than the sun. In the past few years, though, the experimental data has practically rushed in. In Worlds Unnumbered, Donald Goldsmith explains exactly how astronomers reached their conclusions, what their findings imply for the model that predicts formation of our own solar system, and whether the new findings give us any further data on the probability that life exists elsewhere in the universe (or its preponderance if it does). Goldsmith succeeds not only in describing the search for extrasolar planets, but also in conveying a feel for all the factors that contribute to the enormously complex, yet clock-like, motions of the bodies in the universe.
From Booklist
In this golden age of astronomy, new discoveries have proliferated in the past year: life on Mars, an ocean on Europa, and planets around other stars. On the heels of Goldsmith's The Hunt for Life on Mars comes this exciting account of the new planets. Because they cannot be seen, sophisticated methods are being utilized to study these planets, methods that Goldsmith cogently explains in terms of the instruments and reasoning used to claim a new discovery. The burning curiosity, of course, is whether the newcomers could support life: the answer is no; most are gigantic and too close to their stars, and an earth-size planet found orbiting a pulsar would obviously be a crispy critter. Such facts surprised astronomers, upsetting their favored theory of planet formation, possible revisions of which Goldsmith reports with the enthusiasm and clarity essential to popular works. Two dozen colorplates, some imagining the appearance of the new planets, gussy up a wonderful science acquisition for libraries. Gilbert Taylor
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worlds Unnumbered:the search 4 a good book,
By CMDMOM (Townsend, Mass.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Worlds Unnumbered: The Search for Extrasolar Planets (Hardcover)
Worlds Unnumbered: the search for Extrasolar Planets is a very interesting, informative, and fun to read book. Donald Goldsmith educates the reader with knowledge about how to find planets and what needs to be present for life to exist. The characteristics of many stars and planets are given in great detail. Numerous methods of searching for planets are considered, all point toward the future for being able to locate planets with life. This book was easy to understand because Donald Goldsmith went into great depth describing the terms, so that anyone could understand.
In conclusion, I would highly recomend Donald Goldsmith's Worlds Unnumbered: the search for extrasolar planets to anyone with even a slight interest in astronomy. I enjoyed this book and you will most likely too. So buy it or rent it now.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very Informative,
This review is from: Worlds Unnumbered: The Search for Extrasolar Planets (Hardcover)
Worlds Unnumbered is a factual book about planets that orbit other suns in our galaxy. It talks about the possibility of life on these planets as well as how they were formed. Planets that orbit other stars are very hard to find and require the most up to date technology. Many planets found by scientists are very puzzling, because they either are extraordinarily large, or they are very close to their respective star, or a little bit of both. Most planets found are either below waters freezing point, or above the boiling point. This tells us that if these planets harbor life, they must live off of some other liquid compound than water. This opens up many other doors for us, such as, the search for other liquid compounds. If we can find one, we will be able to expand the possibility of life on other planets. Before 1995, we didn't even know planets existed outside our solar system. Once the first one was found, however, many others followed. Scientists searched day in and day out for them, and all their has paid off. The exploration of our universe is well underway.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
EXCELLENT strong case on conditions for planetary systems,
By grahame@dial.pipex.com (Scotland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Worlds Unnumbered: The Search for Extrasolar Planets (Hardcover)
This book takes the reader through a clear systematic explanation of the basics about extrasolar planets and the conditions for their development and survival as well as the fundimentals for the development of any form of life. Now missing latest discoveries this is still a must read for anyone interested in the nature of possible life in the universe or those who like to debate the probabilities of life on other planets without a full picture of the issues for planetary formation let alone the those for possible life. This book fulfilled all my expectations and gives an excellent range of general information and science surrounding the whole topic of extrasolar planets
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