Event Details

The past two decades have been a quantum leap in our understanding of the general mechanisms and frequency of planet formation. First, by ground-based programs, like the one we carry out at McDonald Observatory, and later by space missions like Kepler, we arrived at the stunning conclusion that planets seem to form in almost any situation, where it is not dynamically inhibited. The field is also moving steadily toward the characterization of Earth-like planets orbiting in the habitable zone of their host stars. In my talk, I will highlight - and contrast - two cases of such planets, Kepler-452b and Proxima b. I will describe the various steps that led to the discovery of these worlds and briefly outline possible future observing programs to study them in higher detail. Proxima b might very well be the first exoplanet that we will search for possible bio-signatures.

Video Recording