Future Fridays: Observational Astrophysics

Soon astronomers expect to find alien "Earths" by the dozens in orbit around distant suns. Before the decade is out, telltale signs that these planets harbor life may be found. If they are, the ramifications for all areas of human thought – from religion and philosophy to art and biology – will be breathtaking. In Strange New Worlds, renowned astronomer Ray Jayawardhana brings news from the front lines of the epic quest to find planets – and alien life – beyond our solar system.

Ray Jayawardhana is a professor and Canada Research Chair in observational astrophysics at the University of Toronto. A graduate of Yale and Harvard and a recent winner of Canada's Top 40 Under 40, he uses many of the world's largest telescopes to explore planetary origins and diversity. He is an award-winning writer whose articles have appeared in The Economist, New York Times, Scientific American, Astronomy and Muse, and the author of Strange New Worlds: The Search for Alien Planets and Life Beyond Our Solar System (2011). Wired magazine put it best: "As astronomers go, RayJay is a rock star."