For the aspiring Amateur Exoplanetologists, this book is for you. Its called Exoplanet Observing For Amateurs. The bad news is that it's out of print (the author, Bruce L. Gary says so himself). The good news is that it's an eBook, and so can be printed on demand! Bruce has been so generous as to provide this awesome resource for Exoplanet enthusiasts. However, there is one caveat. If you think you aren't ready yet for this book, then do a quick read on Differential Photometry. Apparently, it's the litmus test to know whether you are ready to tackle Amateur Exoplanetology using this book. Go get yourself ready for the planet-hunt!
Planet-hunting can be boring at times, so I thought i'd dedicate a song for lonely exoplanetologists out there. Here's Rocky Took A Lover by Bell X1 for those who take on the hard research, the difficult task of looking at numbers, and the mind-numbing experience of analyzing data, and for those who often experience the lonely feeling of gazing at the stars alone in the night. The song has honest lyrics, totally human, and I think the video fits well for Astronomers who need a little romance. The song is just plain perfect for Exoplanetologists, too. Viktor Frankl said that "What is to give light must endure burning", so for those who endure the burning hardship to enlighten us with knowledge of the stars and planets, here's a song for you:
Rocky Took A Lover Bell X1
He said 'I wanna shine in the eye of Orion But I drove my soul through the Black Hole!' She said 'What a wonderful way to wake me You weren't so nice last night You're such an asshole when you're drunk' He said 'At least I'm OK in the mornings'
He said 'The three wise men came a long way Following that pin hole in the sky Yeah that one right there' She said 'I don't believe in any old Jesus If there was a God, then why is my arse The perfect height of kicking?'
He said 'I'll shine for you, I'll burn for you Yea I'll shine for you, that's what I'll do'
He said 'They're like headlights In the rear view mirror They're closer that they seem And from this gutter we're still staring at the stars' She said 'Would ya go away and shite Last night all you did was curse those stars You said they sang to you of hope'
He said 'The sun gives life, and it takes it away But like all the greats, it'll burn out someday' She said 'I don't mind, I don't want to get bored I don't want to end up beached on this shore I want to be that star'
And then I'll shine for you. Then I'll burn for you. Then I can shine for you. That's what I'll do
And for those who Rock, below is a 'Rocky' version of the song.
If there is any book at all that magnified my enthusiasm for exoplanetology, then it is The Living Cosmos by Chris Impey. It's mostly on Astrobiology but the parallels to exoplanetology are unmistakable. An exoplanetologist will learn most from the whole book, but Chapter 6, "Distant Worlds" is what i think is the most devoted to exoplanetology. It's where the planet-hunters are mentioned (such as Geoff Marcy, Debra Fischer and Greg Laughlin) as well as the current techniques used in planet-detection (such as Planetary Transit Method). Future initiatives such as NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) which will be launched in 2015 is mentioned as well. The book is highly readable, and most of all truly inspiring.
Planet-hunting can be boring at times, so I thought i'd dedicate a song for lonely exoplanetologists out there. Here's Rocky Took A Lover by Bell X1 for those who take on the hard research, the difficult task of looking at numbers, and the mind-numbing experience of analyzing data, and for those who often experience the lonely feeling of gazing at the stars alone in the night. The song has honest lyrics, totally human, and I think the video fits well for Astronomers who need a little romance. The song is just plain perfect for Exoplanetologists, too. Viktor Frankl said that "What is to give light must endure burning", so for those who endure the burning hardship to enlighten us with knowledge of the stars and planets, here's a song for you:
If there is any book at all that magnified my enthusiasm for exoplanetology, then it is The Living Cosmos by Chris Impey. It's mostly on Astrobiology but the parallels to exoplanetology are unmistakable. 
