The New Era of Exoplanet Discovery

Although science fiction has long dreamed of their existence, it has only been 20 years since the announcement of the first confirmed extrasolar planets. We now know of thousands of worlds beyond our own solar system. Almost all of these planets were discovered by indirect means, mostly by searches for the subtle effects of these distant planets on their own suns. While astronomers have developed astounding methods for teasing out details about many of these planets, the vast majority will forever remain as little more than curves and dips on data plots. However as we enter the third decade of exoplanet science a new method of discovery is coming to the forefront: direct imaging. This method aims to block the light of stars so that the planets that orbit them can be directly detected. Directly imaged planets are not only somehow more satisfying, they also offer many more opportunities for in depth study since their light is naturally separated from that of their star. In my talk I will explain how direct imaging is already helping us to understand the origin and evolution of giant planets around young stars and I will discuss the promise this method holds in the search for life on Earth-like planets in the future.