Exoplanets

exoplanets, like our planet but not

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So, exoplanets, what are they? Exoplanet is a term meaning a planet outside of our solar systems. But not all exoplanets are in other solar systems, some planets which float outside of star systems entirely (called rogue planets) can sometimes bring a moon or two along with them. Rogue planets are often exoplanets that get pulled out of star systems by other stars that fly close by. Exoplanets, on the other hand, are the planets that could harbor life outside of our solar system. They might have unique climates and ecosystems that we do not see here on earth and might have alien life living in them, even if its just microbial organisms or simple plant life. We will talk more about them (the aliens) later.

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How do we find these far off planets? They are not easy to find. In sci-fi, planets are easy to see against the bright star, but it is difficult in reality. From earth we see “star blips” which just means blips in the luminosity from the star that we are observing meaning it is a planetary system. There are very few non-planetary star systems because when a star forms it pulls in lots of material which (because of gravity) pulls itself together to form small bodies of matter around the star that grow bigger and better. Sometimes into rocky planets or (if its gas) a gas giant, though rarely, it turns into a water planet made from comets that compacted together and melted.