Runnymede Library: From Earth to Super-Earths and Beyond

It has been a little over 20 years that we know there are planets around other stars and 10 years that we know there are solid planets around other stars with the first super-Earth discovered: GJ876d. In the last few years, we have also learned that super-Earths and mini-Neptunes are the most common planet in the galaxy, improving our chances to find another habitable planet. To study these planets, we base our knowledge on what we have learned about the Earth and our planet neighbours, and test these ideas on these new and sometimes exotic planets. Dr. Diana Valencia will discuss the most prominent findings about super-Earths that have a bearing on their characteristics, evolution and potential for life.

Diana Valencia is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, Scarborough. Before joining UofT, she was the Henri Poincaré Postdoctoral Fellow at the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur in Nice France, and the NASA Sagan Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Who can attend: Everyone
Fee: Free
Registration: Not required
Organized by: Toronto Public Library
Location: 2178 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON  M6S 1M8, 416-393-7697

http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDMEVT308573&R=EVT308573