What makes α Centauri, or Alpha Centauri, and Tatooine-like planets so exciting? Join Billy Quarles, postdoctoral scholar, University of Oklahoma, to learn about planets outside our solar system.
Planets orbiting two stars has been iconified by a young Luke Skywalker ("Star Wars") gazing into an alien double sunset. In the search for planets outside the solar system, α Centauri has been an ideal location due to its relative proximity and similarity to our sun. Plans are in motion to send nanocrafts at near light speed to survey the system, while others have proposed to use direct imaging methods. The Kepler Mission has uncovered nine planetary systems, where the planet orbits both stars completely, and the next mission will discover hundreds more. For adults and teens.
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