The Department of Mathematics and Science invites you to a guest lecture: "Discovery, Characterization, and Demographics of Extrasolar Planets", by Dr. Trifon Trifonov, Astrophysicist, Exoplanet Researcher, Landessternwarte Heidelberg, Germany.

Extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, reside beyond our Solar System and are now known to be common in our Galaxy. Since the first discovery in 1995, more than 8,000 have been identified using several methods, most notably the transit method (measuring small dips in starlight as a planet passes in front of its star) and the radial velocity method (measuring the wobble of a star due to an orbiting planet). These discoveries allow astronomers to build statistical samples that reveal the diversity of planetary systems. A key milestone has been the discovery of multiple-planet systems, such as our own local example; the Solar System, and of course, Earth-like planets capable of hosting life. Multiple-planet systems provide unique insights into orbital architectures and formation pathways. Their study helps connect present-day observations with the processes of planet migration, orbital resonances, and long-term stability. In this talk, I will summarize the main discovery methods, highlight the demographics of exoplanets, describe their most prominent orbital and physical properties, and show why multiple-planet systems are especially valuable for understanding planet formation and evolution in our search for an Earth 2.0.