Impact of Exoplanet Science in the Early Twenty-First Century

Deeg, Hans J.; Belmonte, Juan Antonio
Bibliographical reference

Handbook of Exoplanets, ISBN 978-3-319-55332-0. Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature, 2018, id.166

Advertised on:
2018
Number of authors
2
IAC number of authors
2
Citations
2
Refereed citations
2
Description
The impact of exoplanet science at the beginning of the twenty-first century is studied from two different approaches: the impact in astronomical science both by professionals and citizen scientists and through public outreach. The impact of exoplanetology on the scientific community as well as on the informed public is presented by several indicators and examples. Currently about 3% of all refereed articles in astronomy are focused on exoplanets, whereas about a quarter of the science cases for very large multipurpose astronomical instruments is based on exoplanet science. Interactions with the public occur on several levels; we present an overview of exoplanet-related citizen science and discuss the influence of the public's exposure to media coverage about exoplanets and life in the universe. This influence is changing the public's perception about the uniqueness of our Earth and about the presence of extraterrestrial life. In turn, this perception affects the public support for the research infrastructure that is necessary to maintain the growth of the field of exoplanetology. Also, an interactive process between exoplanet science and the public through IAU's NameExoWorlds Contest is presented in detail.
Related projects
Helio and Asteroseismology
Helio and Astero-Seismology and Exoplanets Search
The principal objectives of this project are: 1) to study the structure and dynamics of the solar interior, 2) to extend this study to other stars, 3) to search for extrasolar planets using photometric methods (primarily by transits of their host stars) and their characterization (using radial velocity information) and 4) the study of the planetary
Savita
Mathur