The Importance of Small Objects: Exocomets

Isabel Rebollido, Space Telescope Science Institute

Comets, asteroids, and other minor bodies in the solar system are thought to have played an important role in the formation of planets. They may even affect the appearance of life on Earth. Although we can’t directly observe these small bodies in other planetary systems, we can infer their presence through various techniques. Studies into exocomets have been pursued for decades, with recent advances in the exoplanetary field bringing them into the limelight. In particular, comets trace chemical and dynamical information that could eventually be key to determine the habitability of new planetary systems.

Host: Brandon Lawton, Space Telescope Science Institute
Recorder live on Tuesday, August 3, 2021
More information: www.stsci.edu/public-lectures