The Planet Factory: Exoplanets and the Search for a Second Earth

Forget about rockets to Mars – the future of space science lies with the search for exoplanets

Twenty years ago, the search for planets outside the Solar System was the preserve of science-fiction writers. Now it’s one of the fastest-growing fields in astronomy, with thousands of exoplanets discovered to date, and the number rising fast.

These new-found worlds are more alien than anything in fiction. Planets larger than Jupiter with years lasting a week; others with two suns lighting their sk...