h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Joanna
Nice article: I was thinking about writing one myself about this subject, but you got there first!

Couple of (I hope constructive) comments:
* Tidal forces prevent 51 Peg from spiralling into its host star. It has been suggested that the Solar system may have had many Jupiters formed in the past, and several might have been devoured by the Sun. Also, it appears that the planets in the Solar System have migrated over time, Jupiter moving inwards, so 51 Peg could have been formed in the same way as Jupiter after all.
* Astrometry is catching on again as a possible means of detecting wobbles, though after the Barnard's Star debacle all those years ago, people tend to be a lot more careful in using it.
* Occulations (transits) are much more likely to occur in eclipsing binary systems, so searches for transits are concentrating on these.
* Nulling optical interferometry is another possible method of resolving extrasolar planets. This would work better in the infrared

There's a very goo article on this subject which I'll dig out and send to you.

Deadlyvices

Thanks for this, deadlyvices. I was going to do work on this tonight for my tutorial talk on monday; this is useful new information!

Would you like me to collaborate on the article? I've already started the intro to mine which might be of some use.

Just found a url to the review I was talking about in
[URL removed by moderator]

Have look at this: it's got virtually everything you need to know.

A collaboration would be great. I'm just off to read that link...