extrasolar-planets.com
Literature
I am not only responsible for this scientific website I am also wiriting scientific books. But so far are my books only available in German language.
Selection of press reviews on Exoplanets
Planet Wissen
Book tip in the program “Home galaxy Milky Way - Are we alone in space?”
28.10.2011
“You can read about how fascinating the work of astronomers is in the book ‘Exoplanets’. It also gives you an idea of what researchers are currently searching for: Exoplanets. Planets on which life could possibly exist. You can also find out what that might look like in this book.”
Astronomie.de
Bernd Hoffmann
11. August 2011
“This book is an easy-to-read outline of a very exciting and topical subject ... There are enough stories to tell about the search for exoplanets, and Sven Piper has also found some very nice ones ... In this day and age, I find it quite commendable that many statements are backed up by sources ... Highly recommended as a popular science book.”
MDR
Book tip in the science journal
July 07, 2011
“We don't have another Earth” - this popular environmentalist slogan no longer applies. Astronomers now know of 450 planets outside our solar system. In his book, Sven Piper meticulously describes the search for a second Earth, from the techniques used to the speculations about what extraterrestrial life might look like. A book for star lovers who are ready to delve deep into the cosmos of the search for exoplanets.”
sternzeit
Gert Wüstenberg in the magazine “sternzeit - Zeitschrift astronomischer Vereinigungen” 4/2011 p.203-204
“It is divided into ten chapters, some of which cover several topics. The first presents ideas that already existed in antiquity or before, then disappeared - at least for Europe - and only became known again later. It is surprising how modern some of these theses seem and how enormously old some of them are ... In this day and age - poor in footnotes - it is gratifying that they are present in good quantity in this book ... All in all, this is... a book worth reading, in which everything worth knowing on the subject is presented in an interesting and systematic way. It often amazed me.”
interstellarum
Hans-Georg Purucker in the magazine “interstellarum” issue no. 78 October/November 2011
“This book covers the history of astronomy, the discovery of the first extrasolar planets and the search for extraterrestrial intelligences. Almost without mathematical formulas, the book covers the arc from scientists who were often ridiculed at the time, who were initially helped by chance, to planned future space missions. The author explains the techniques, telescopes and missions used to describe one of the most exciting and promising areas of research in the natural sciences ... with comparatively few pictures, but this is not a problem because of the interesting and up-to-date content ...”
Radio Bayern 2
Book tip from 19.04.2012 by Florian Hildebrand and Klaus Uhrig
A good, readable and detailed overview of the current state of research.
Orion
Journal of the Swiss Astronomical Society SAG
Issue 4/11 p.11
The book is easy to understand, the required prior knowledge is reduced to the basic astronomical knowledge that every introductory astronomy book offers. Sven Piper knows how to summarize the very complex subject matter without forgetting essential aspects.
Regiomontanus Bote
Journal of the Nuremberg Astronomical Society e.V.
Andreas Sperber
2/2012 S.10
In my opinion, this book is a beautifully formulated and ... easy to read guide. Expressed in terms of school grades, it would get a B+
Naturwissen-schaftliche Rundschau
September 2011
Vol 64, Issue 9, p. 493 f.
A generally understandable book on the subject comes at just the right time. ... illuminates a wide variety of aspects, for example it describes the history of the discovery of exoplanets, describes a number of planets in more detail and devotes a great deal of space to the question of the origin of life and the possible existence of extraterrestrial civilizations. ... with its appealing, richly illustrated presentation and casual language, the book is aimed at a broad audience with no prior knowledge.
Raumfahrt Concret
Ute Habricht
Issue 67 Issue 2/2011 p.31
The interstellar world is on the move. Humanity is on the verge of discovering a second Earth. And what awaits us then? Sven Piper provides exciting questions and answers in his first specialist book... Piper knows how to liven up the somewhat specific subject again and again with fascinating questions about life in these exotic worlds... All in all, the book is a well-founded summary of this rapidly advancing branch of research.
Silvio K. on Thalia.de
Recently, we have often read in the press about the discovery of distant planets that may be similar to Earth. The idea of being able to colonize a second Earth is not far-fetched. But so far we know little about these planets, let alone whether they are even within our reach. This book provides a very good and fascinating insight into current research into the mysterious, unimaginably distant exoplanets. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the future possibilities of astronomical discoveries!
Selection of reader reviews
on Exoplanets
Roland M. on Weltbild.de
“Exoplanets” provides a very readable, compact and interesting overview of the current state of research in the search for planets outside our solar system. Above all, the reader learns a lot about the very sophisticated methods that make it possible to discover exosolar planets, which are outshone millions of times by their stars. The planetary systems found so far are hardly similar to ours. That is why the chapters explaining the types of exoplanets and presenting the most interesting representatives are particularly exciting to read. Numerous color illustrations give an idea of what the alien worlds might look like. The search for life in space and for a “second Earth” is also a focal point. The reader learns what “super-Earths” are and the book nourishes the hope that we are not alone in space.
Armin M. on amazon.de
Contrary to what the title suggests, Sven Piper does not only deal with exoplanets, even though this is the central theme of the book and the other topics revolve around it. The book begins with a chapter on the history of astronomy and the assumptions about other solar systems, describes the methods used to search for them and the instruments, especially satellites, and the middle section classifies and presents particularly interesting exoplanets. After the outlook for future search missions, the second focus follows: what about life on other planets or even intelligent life. Piper describes the origin of life on Earth, as well as the assumptions about life in the solar system - from Venus to Enceladus. He writes about the boundary conditions under which life can emerge and concludes with the probability of communicating with other civilizations.The book is aimed at interested laymen, but despite the easy-to-read style of writing, the information density is high and Piper does not start with the basics. You should therefore have some knowledge of astronomy. For those who do, this is an interesting book about an exciting research discipline.
Hans-Peter J. on amazon.de
This book follows the latest branch of research in astronomy, namely the promising and promising hunt for exoplanets - more precisely: scientists are looking for a second Earth or planets that have Earth-like environmental conditions. The author explains to his readers the technical means to achieve this ambitious goal. The possible types of exoplanets are also discussed before he goes into more detail about some interesting discoveries in this young branch of research. He tries to explain to his readers what results can be expected from planned missions in the coming years. The last two chapters deal with questions about life in the universe and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).
...
Despite some shortcomings, this book deserves a wide readership who will be able to follow the memorable traces of one of the most fascinating branches of research of our time. This gateway to the future, which has only been opened a crack, will have consequences whose dimensions we can hardly imagine today! When we read this book, we feel a little connected to this future - a future that will bring us far more than just a second Earth.
Thorsten B. on Thalia.de
One of the most popular disciplines in astronomy at the moment is the search for planets in distant solar systems. The number of celestial bodies discovered has risen from almost zero to almost 500 in just a few years; knowledge about their nature is also growing exponentially. Sven Piper has drawn up a first interim balance of the planet hunt that is understandable for everyone. The author introduces the technical means used by astronomers to lie in wait and presents the common methods used to detect exoplanets - such as the transit method, which uses the changing brightness of a star to show whether a celestial body is currently passing by. Researchers have come across the most diverse planets imaginable: from so-called super-Earths to real water worlds. Piper also introduces some particularly weird representatives, for example the “ghost riders”, which move in the opposite direction to the rotation of their star. The author also looks for answers to the mother of all questions in the search for exoplanets: Can habitable celestial bodies also be found and could life exist there, possibly even intelligent life? However, the journey there could take several thousand years with the technology available today. However, this sad perspective does not diminish the pleasure of reading this entertaining and informative volume in the slightest.