The Little Book of Exoplanets

by Joshua N. Winn

A concise and accessible introduction to exoplanets that explains the cutting-edge science behind recent discoveries

For centuries, people have speculated about the possibility of planets orbiting distant stars, but only since the 1990s has technology allowed astronomers to detect them. At this point, more than five thousand such exoplanets have been identified, with the pace of discovery accelerating after the launch of NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and the Webb Space Telescope. In The Little Book of Exoplanets , Princeton astrophysicist Joshua Winn offers a brief and engaging introduction to the search for exoplanets and the cutting-edge science behind recent findings. In doing so, he chronicles the dawn of a new age of discovery―one that has rapidly transformed astronomy and our broader understanding of the universe.

Scientists now know that many Sun-like stars host their own systems of planets, some of which may resemble our solar system and include planets similar to the Earth. But, Winn tells us, the most remarkable discoveries so far have been of planets with unexpected and decidedly un-Earth-like properties, which have upended what we thought we knew about the origins of planetary systems. Winn provides an inside view of the sophisticated detective work astronomers perform as they find and study exoplanets and describes the surprising―sometimes downright bizarre―planets and systems they have found. He explains how these discoveries are revolutionizing astronomy, and he explores the current status and possible future of the search for another Earth. Finally, drawing on his own and other scientists’ work, he considers how the discovery of exoplanets and their faraway solar systems changes our perspectives on the universe and our place in it.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Space, Astronomy, Audiobook, Physics

304 pages, Hardcover

First published July 11, 2023

Reviews

[Hank · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 5 star for everyone not just me. A very accessible physics+planets type of book. Winn takes you step by step through the basic physics you need to know to understand how we look for, find and classify exoplanets. The fun parts are the creative ways the scientists went about looking and the wide variety of different types of planets. Sci-fi writers should start with this book when creating space operas.

I loved it, I realize this is the type of stuff that I always love but I think this will appeal to lots of fiction readers as well.

[E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

big thanks to libro.fm for providing the ALC copy

this was an interesting read but if you -- like me -- don't have much knowledge about space, it may seem a bit overwhelming as it's packed with information. so if you -- like me -- are trying to finish it in one day when you already have a headache, you may not grasp much?

i would definitely recommend this book to science fiction writers trying to come up with new worlds and anyone else wondering about space.

[Evelina | AvalinahsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I read this: Free audiobook copy received through Libro.fm

I greatly enjoyed this little book. I listened to it most nights before bed for a couple months. I only wish it didn't end this soon, cause I would have loved to have it play before bedtime for the rest of the year. The narration was lovely, and the contents wonderful.

I thank the publisher and libro.fm for giving me a free copy of the audiobook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

[Adam K · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars, maybe 4.5

This book covers a variety of topics surrounding exoplanetary science, including the history (which is fairly sparse up until the last couple decades), the technology, the methodology, and even a little bit about why the author thinks it is interesting.

The author, Joshua N. Winn, writes candidly at times, but mostly sticks to historical records and scientific fact. However, he does a good job of keeping things light and casual despite the daunting engineering and mathematical principles behind the topic. This book seems to be targeted towards the general audience, so some concepts described might be very basic to someone who is interested in physics, but he never dwells too long on anything for it to become tedious.

I think this book does a great job of laying out exoplanetary research--where it began and where it is today. Though the field is in its relative infancy, Winn's passion for the work is very clear in his writing. You might say this is a very niche pop science book, but if you ever wanted to learn about the subject, I think this is a great place to start.

[Philip Athans · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book that presented a fascinating subject while walking a tightrope. Joshua Winn includes the complex mathematics behind the discovery and classification of exoplanets. Not being much of a "math guy"myself, I thought it might go over my head, but Winn's explanations of those principles were exceptionally lucid. I found this book simultaneously scientifically robust AND immensely readable--a difficult combination to pull off.

Look for a more detailed look next week at: https://fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the first book on exoplanets I have read, but the best one. Specifically because rather than spend half or more of the text on hypothetical habitable worlds, it relegates that more nebulous topic to the afterword only. What you get instead is straight science and discovery and a reminder that, much like the excellent conclusion to the otherwise mediocre film Ad Astra, these strange dead worlds have a majesty all their own.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDPVF...

[Julia Ward-Mulligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a bit biased since I think my knowledge of astronomy and physics helped me understand the content well. But I thought this was a remarkably well-written book, easier to understand than most science nonfictions are. The book covered a wide scope of exoplanetary study, but it didn’t feel overwhelming or rushed. I will definitely return to this book not only for my own enjoyment but also for the wealth of information it contains.

[Joshua Norcross · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read! Reading this in public me feel brainy 😅

[Wondra Vanian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dry for me.

[Alexis Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing introduction into so many different science fields that are included in the study of exoplanets. Very witty too.

[Kassiopeia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written, fun, witty, imaginative, and engaging! Truly recommended to everyone in our universe to help expand your horizons past our planet, our solar system, and even our past galaxy.

[Jessica Lear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Misleading, not actually that little. Other than that big fan, v interesting.

[Maulik Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminded me of the wonder and amazement I had as a kid, looking up at the night sky and thinking about all the bazillions of stars and planets out there and questioning what are they like. I haven't found myself laying up at night and thinking about the big, bold (and frankly, scarily _empty_) universe out there in a long time - until I finished this book.

An entertaining read, with enough science to keep the nerds (like me) satisfied and yet keeping it understandable for the layman, I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about humanity's search for worlds outside of our own. It explains the problem (and why it's hard), dives into the clever techniques scientists have used to attempt to solve them, and talks about the latest research and teases the new telescopes and technologies to come.

[Jerry Hillyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This weekend, Friday night to be precise, my wife and I went to a 'dark park' that is near our neck of the woods. We had been encouraged earlier this summer when we looked through our telescope and were able to locate not only the moon but the planet Venus. It was really amazing and serendipitous. I have no skill with my telescope which is why I visit APOD and read books. Nevertheless we had been encouraged and so we went. Here you can see my Celestron 127 sitting proud and ready. Only it wasn't ready. Like, at all.

I was hopeful we would be able to tune in to the stars and imagine our life away for a few minutes. I had hoped we might catch a glimpse of the glorious Saturn and perhaps a small galaxy. I couldn't even find the moon when it rose up above the horizon. By then, the moonlight washed the sky and we weren't able to see much--even with our naked eyes. So we quit and took a nice long drive home.

Back to the learning board.

Anyhow, The Little Book of Exoplanets is an outstanding book. Don't be fooled by the word 'little' in the title: this might be a small book, but it is packed with information about the universe of stars and planets.

What I like. I think what I appreciated the most about this book is that the author, Winn, spoke to his readers in language that the lay person can understand. There is some complicated material here and I don't mean to suggest that I either understood it all or read through it all and came out shining on the other end. But Winn did his best to make this book accessible to his audience--people like me who like to go to dark parks and stare at the stars and maybe see a constellation or a planet, but will never write a book what it means.

I also appreciated the illustrations and the plates. The illustrations were great for help visualizing the concepts and the plates were just beautiful. It is amazing what is able to be done with telescopes and cameras and mirrors.

Finally, among other things, I appreciated that Winn was not openly hostile to those of us who aren't afraid to talk about God when discussing the universe. Frankly, given the enormity of the universe, well, I won't say anything else about it. I fully understand the disposition of most scientists to avoid the God argument and I appreciated that Winn, while clearly supporting a non-God involvement, was not hostile to those of us who see the universe as the handiwork of God.

What I didn't like. Not much. Frankly, there is not all that much to dislike about this book, but if I had to nail it down to one or two things I would say it is mostly the speculative nature of much of this material. There is a lot to infer from Doppler shifts and transits of planets, but the fact is there is very little hard, physical evidence (by way of direct observation and pictures) of any of it. That's not entirely true: there is some physical (by way of pictures taken over many years) evidence. And I'm excited about the movements being made to make bigger and better scientific instruments to look into the heavens. But I think even Winn would admit that there's a lot of speculation and in fact we do not know a lot of what happens in some places in the universe because we are not there to observe it first hand.

I wish we could, though. Perhaps I wish we could for different reasons than Winn and his scientific friends, but I'd sure like to see what they are privileged to see on a regular basis.

There is all manner of suns and planets in the universe and most, if not all, of what Winn talks about in this book is happening right here in the Milky Way Galaxy. Who knows what's happening in, say, Andromeda or elsewhere. The photos of protoplanetary disks on plate 13 are simply confoundingly beautiful.

The last chapter of the book the Afterward, sort of lays out what I think is the point of the entire book. These scientists are not really looking for exoplanets even though they are looking for exoplanets. They, and I suppose we, are looking for life: "With a second example of life in the universe, we could finally make decisive progress on the question of how life begins." (251) He goes on, "There would be implications for science, technology, politics, religion, and, well, everything." (252) I think this is all wonderful and fascinating, but I think it misses the mark. Of all the planets surveyed, of all the stars discovered, of all the galaxies gazed at, and of all the billions of dollars spent putting mirrors in the sky scientists are still not willing to admit that Earth might be the most unique place in the entire universe--even though none of these things has yet to turn up what we define as life.

That's fine. Keep searching. Keep gazing. Keep standing in awe of the utterly incomprehensible size of the universe. Yet, I am hopeful they find not what they are looking for, but what is inescapably there, right in front of their eyes. Understanding the physics of the universe is not the same as understanding the universe--and frankly, I don't think the discovery of a so much as a single celled organism outside of earth will bring us a single step closer to understanding anything. We have life right here on earth and we cannot summon the answers to these questions. How will finding a tardigrade on a planet orbiting PDS 70 or any of the other thousands of protoplanets do so? If we cannot find answers here, I sincerely doubt whatever may or may not be 'out there' will do so any better.

I'm glad people like Winn do the work they do and write the books they write. For they only remind me of how small I am, how minor my contribution is, and there is far more to life than we can we see with our eyes and mirrors.

5/5 stars

[Rebecca Josefine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels wrong to rate this because... I don't think I'm the intended audience for the book? It's not for people who are just starting to dip their feet into astronomy and all the things space. At least, the audiobook is not made for newbies, but I don't know how much better I would follow in a print/text edition. This book feels like it's made for a niche audience of people who know a bit, but still have a lot to learn.

[Booksoverhoes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Z lektury “Małej księgi egzoplanet” wyniosłam głównie to, że nie ma wystarczająco dużo informacji o egzoplanetach, żeby napisać nawet małą księgę egzoplanet. Bo jak inaczej wytłumaczyć fakt, że temat tak niezwykle ciekawy i obiecujący został sprowadzony do prawie trzystu stron opisów spektroskopii i efektu Dopplera?

A miało być tak pięknie. Egzoplanety to planety, które znajdują się poza naszym Układem Słonecznym - wszystkie te niezwykle, czasem potencjalnie podobne do Ziemii, kiedy indziej całkowicie egzotyczne światy, które czekają na nas w miliardach innych układów słonecznych. Czyli ogólnie temat niezwykle fascynujący. A jednak mogę policzyć na palcach jednej ręki miejsca, które na trzystu stronach tej książki okazały się choć w przybliżeniu fascynujące.

Jestem ogromnie rozczarowana tą pozycją - głównie dlatego że wyobrażałam ją sobie zupełnie inaczej. Po książce o takim tytule spodziewałabym się więcej… cóż, egzoplanet. Bardziej adekwatną nazwą byłoby jednak “Mała księga wykrywania egzoplanet”, bo to na tym głównie skupia się autor, opisując dokładnie i wielokrotnie różne metody szukania, klasyfikowania i mierzenia nowych ciał niebieskich.

I o ile efekt tego szukania, klasyfikowania i mierzenia jest naprawdę porywający, o tyle same metody i ich opisy raczej do takich nie należą - przynajmniej moim zdaniem. Gdyby proporcje były inne i na przykład 1/3 książki autor poświęciłby na rys historyczny, teorie powstawania gwiazd i planet, czy choćby właśnie te wszystkie metody ich wykrywania, a kolejne 2/3 na faktyczne przedstawienie tych planet, to mogłaby to być naprawdę ciekawa pozycja. Zamiast tego te pierwsze tematy zajmują 90% książki, a z pomiędzy nich musimy wyłuskać kilka ciekawszych informacji (głównie pod koniec i w posłowiu).

Trzeba natomiast wziąć oczywiście pod uwagę fakt, że wyszukiwanie egzoplanet jest gałęzią nauki może i prężnie się rozwijającą, ale również relatywnie młodą, a konkretne, niepodważalne dane są trudne do zdobycia. Może faktycznie jest za mało faktów, żeby tymi faktami wypełnić książkę?

Nie mogę też powiedzieć, żeby była to pozycja źle napisana czy rozczarowująco wydana. Wręcz przeciwnie - znajdziemy w niej kolorowe plansze, ilustracje, wykresy (dużo wykresów, bardzo dużo bardzo drobiazgowo opisanych wykresów). Polecam sprawdzać linki z przypisów, żeby zobaczyć dodatkowe ciekawe rzeczy.

Tekst nie jest napisany przesadnie naukowym żargonem i przez większość czasu wypada raczej przystępnie, ale miejscami jednak na tyle naukowo, żeby zupełnie tracić moją uwagę (a ja skończyłam studia chemiczne z fizyką i matmą, więc to nie tak, że jest to dla mnie język całkowicie obcy). Może jestem uprzedzona, bo nigdy nie byłam największą fanką fizyki. Matko, pewnie zostałabym astronomką albo astrofizyczką, gdyby nie to, że w tym celu trzeba mieć fizykę w małym paluszku.

Moim zdaniem nie jest to szalenie ciekawa książka, ale na pewno znajdzie swoich fanów - jeśli bardziej od samej wizji nowej planety pociąga Was opis jej odkrywania i rozwoju obecnie wykorzystywanej do tego technologii. Natomiast jej tytuł jest zdecydowanie bardzo mylący i niestety sięgając po nią, miałam nadzieję na lekturę, której ostatecznie nie dostałam.

[John Astell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Little Book of Exoplanets by Joshua Winn is highly informative and fun to read. It covers the current state of knowledge about exoplanets (planets orbiting stars other than the Sun). It also explains the various technologies that are used to discover exoplanets clearly, in just the right detail to understand their strengths and weaknesses without having to be a scientific or mathematical expert. I found very illuminating that, as I found out about the exoplanet discovery techniques, I realized why we haven’t (yet) found exo planetary systems that resemble our solar system. We just can’t detect systems like this with our current technology. This fact even clearly pops out of some of the diagrams: Most of our solar system planets are in the blank places on the diagrams, beyond the ability of current techniques to detect.

If you follow exoplanet news at all, you may have heard of “mini-Neptunes” and “super-Earths,” planets larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. Winn’s book explains the difference between these types of planets and how we can tell them apart. Similarly, the topic of “hot Jupiters,” gas giant planets orbiting very close to their stars, is clear and interesting. According to our theory of planetary formation, a gas giant cannot form close to its star. Winn explains not only how hot Jupiters might come to be but also how our planetary formation theory still needs developing.

There are a few very minor issues with the book. The text in a few places is somewhat repetitive, although this was obviously intended to make sure the casual reader is reminded of key facts. One of Winn’s analogies doesn’t really quite work, although the rest do. Figure 5.6 shows “compact multi-planet systems”, comparing them to the solar system. This is an excellent diagram showing planetary size, type, and distance from its star in an extremely easy to comprehend way. However, the diagram would have been even better had a symbol been added to show the type of star (red dwarf, sun-like star, etc., or perhaps spectral type of star) for each planetary system. There’s plenty of room for a symbol like this in the diagram.

These minor issues do not detract from Winn’s work. Although the title calls it a “little book”, Little Book of Exoplanets is the perfect-sized book on exoplanets.

[William Mosteller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book on the techniques and challenges of finding planets around stars light-years away from our own. The search involves very cunning detection approaches typically relying on very accurate measurement of light and radiation from these stars. The current state of the art is reminiscent of the shaggy dog story where a drunk has lost his car keys and is looking not where he thinks he dropped them but near the streetlight, because the light is better. We're apparently good at finding planets the size of Jupiter, surprisingly sometimes in orbits tighter to their stars than Earth is to the Sun. Finding Earth-sized plants around Sun-like starts in the habitable (or Goldilocks zone, just right for life) is apparently still very difficult.

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suspect I would've liked this book better if I had read it with my eyes instead of listening to the audiobook. Near the beginning the author discusses wanting to write the book in a way that would be accessible to laypeople, but unfortunately I kept finding myself zoning out (in a way I found reminiscent of undergrad lectures ^_^; ) because it just became a drone of "science, science, physics, math, science!" Sounds like the print book has lots of diagrams that would probably help with me retaining any footing in the material, but at a certain point I mostly just gave up and let it wash over me, aha. Feels weird to rate this 3 stars when the book itself is probably more of a 4, but the listening experience just dragged it down so much.

[C · Rating 1 out of 5]

figures non-existent

The color plates are fine. But every chapter has many many figure references that are pretty basic to understanding what the author is trying to convey. Unfortunately these figures do not exist in the Kindle version. So instead of a five star rating it merits a zero (one on the kindle rating system). Sorry but my money was wasted.

Figure R 0-0

⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ —-> 0️⃣

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best space science books I've read. Even as his subjects grow more complex, Dr. Winn resists the urge to hit us with pages of formulas or impenetrable physics. Instead, he remains a patient guide, and we can fully appreciate planets where it rains iron or the difference between a big Earth and a mini Neptune. If you're curious what's "out there," this book will fill a little bit of it in.

[Daniel Macgregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a fair amount of popular/general audience astronomy books, and I can say by far this is one of the better entries in that 'genre.' It brilliantly mixes the general introduction to basic astronomy and scientific principles while meshing them with the specific focus of the book, i.e. exoplanets. Great option for folks not familiar with the topic or astronomy, or those like me who'd like a refresher and to know the latest updates.

[Wolf Pernyak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully insightful book that elaborates on the history and methods of space discovery without even leaving Earth. Despite not knowing a lot of the technical physics and other academic-related knowledge used, the book was never too challenging, and I was still able to understand the overall concept and enjoy the reading. I also loved that the author provided references to other matierals, both academic and general public-friendly to follow up if you want to learn even more.

[Tyler Nam · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I learned that the first exoplanet was discovered in 1995, I had to know more about them. How did we find it? Why was it only so recent? What are we doing with this information. This book provides all the answers and more in a digestible format with pictures and figures and a little math too. Very cool.

[Octoberbear · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Audiobook) Cute little book on exoplanets, how to find them, and ongoing attempts to find extraterrestrial life. Each chapter gives you a summary of resources that lead to further studying, which I like. The writing is clear and fun to read. I find the audiobook format very hard to follow and backtrack, which is why it took me so long; I recommend reading the book instead.

[Michael Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming, accessible, and fascinating book that challenges the reader without overwhelming. Winn's enthusiasm is infectious, and the book is written right at the edge of the layman's knowledge--i.e., you have to take his word for the stuff that involves calculus. It turns out we are living right at the beginning of the golden age of exoplanet exploration!

[Sean B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though a little dry at points, The Little Book of Exoplanets is a wonderful read on a very interesting astronomical topic. It takes you through the process of how Exoplanets are discovered and how they've been discovered in the past, handing you a bit of history and modern day scientific discovery in a neat little package. If you're interested in space, I would highly suggest giving this a go.

[Marissa Dobulis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, but I think I am in the minority--despite being a trained spectroscopist, this book does dive into the story of exoplanets (it is certainly not a beginner's guide!). I learned a lot, much enjoyed, and wish I would have had this book before I had my dissertation defense!

[Evan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Just from analyzing a faint point of light (distant star), we (exoplanetary scientists) can detect a planet orbiting the star, and deduce its atmospheric composition... incredible. Exoplanets are common as well.

[Daniel Farabaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read about the science of explanets. The authors enthusiasm really came through well and developed and very good narrative. The science got a little hard to follow at times but overall very good.