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Lecture PKU: Explore Exoplanet with
Prof. Michel Mayor
PKU NEWS 2007--11—12
http://ennews.pku.edu.cn/news.php?s=194840759
Peking University, Beijing, Nov. 12th, 2007: At 7 pm on Nov. 11th, a lecture
sponsored by Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics and School of Physics
opened for the general public a door to astronomy, which is usually considered as
one of the most mysterious subjects of science.
The lecture was given by Prof. Michel Mayor, a world-known professor from the
Astronomy Department of Geneva University, under the topic of Searching for other
worlds: the Discovery of Exoplanets.
Prof. Michel Mayor acted as the President of International Astronomical Union (IAU)
between 1988-1991. He won the 2005 Shaw Prize of Astronomy for the discovery of
the first extra-solar planet around the 51 Pegasi in 1995.
For the past 12 years, about 250 extrasolar planets have been found, more than 100
of which were contributed by the team Prof. Mayor is in.
Again in April this year, Prof. Mayor and his partner found for the first time one
exoplanet that‘s possibly suitable for man to live in. The new-found planet has similar
temperature and size as Earth, and there‘s a chance that liquid water exists.
Astronomers claimed this discovery a big event in searching for presence of life in
the universe.
Using vivid pictures and wonderful speech, Prof. Mayor aroused the interest of
students in astronomy, especially exoplanets. Many students raised questions about
possibilities of finding a suitable planet and the existence of other living organisms in
the universe.
Edited By : Wang Yi
Translated By : Seren
Source : PKU News (Chinese)
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