The last two years have seen extraordinary progress in the field of detecting and characterizing the atmospheres of planets circling stars other than the sun. This progress has been aided by the rapid discovery rate for these bodies, called exoplanets, together with powerful new methods that now enable detailed atmospheric characterization. Recent successes include a "map" of atmospheric temperature and the detection of molecules in an exoplanet’s atmosphere. Today, existing instruments enable us to determine the atmospheric composition and weather of some exoplanets. This rapid and remarkable process is building rapidly towards the next step; in the very near future, it is probable that we will be able to detect molecules that represent the building blocks of life on an exoplanet positioned in a star’s “habitable zone.” This talk will tell the story of the journey from the discovery of exoplanets to current efforts to detect organic molecules in exoplanet atmospheres. Speaker: Dr. Mark Swain Jet Propulsion Laboratory Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Source: www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2009&month=11 The von Kármán Lecture Series General Information The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after JPL's founder, and presented by JPL's Office of Communication and Education, brings the excitement of the space program's missions, instruments and other technologies to both JPL employees and the local community. Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL's Theodore von Kármán Auditorium and are streamed live via Ustream, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College's Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7:00 PM. Admission and parking are free for all lectures, no reservations are required, and seating is limited. Support the Channel vie BOOK DEPOSITARY Shopping Book Depository: Millions of books with free delivery worldwide www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=Booklibrary FOLLOW THE CHANNEL ON TWITTER twitter.com/FREESPACELIVE Enjoy, Share, Like and Subscribe:)

Be the first to comment